Fossil fuels are causing the climate crisis. We can’t solve the climate crisis while continuing to subsidize its very cause. Yet the Government of Canada has long spent more taxpayers dollars on fueling the climate crisis than fixing it. In 2022 alone, the Government of Canada provided over $20 billion to the oil and gas sector.
On July 24, Environment and Climate Change Canada released a new framework for phasing out so-called inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. Our network welcomed the framework as an essential step toward aligning Canada’s economic policy with its climate goals. The new rules commit the federal government to ensure spending supports the transition to renewable energy and is aligned with the goal of keeping global temperature rise to below 1.5C degrees. However, the new rules do contain loopholes for false solutions such as carbon capture and storage, fossil-based hydrogen and fossil gas. The new rules don’t apply to the financing provided by Crown corporations such as Export Development Canada, even though this public financing is the bulk of federal support for oil and gas companies. While the government has promised a plan to address this, the timelines are far too long given the urgency of the climate impacts we’re seeing today.
On July 26, several organizations gathered on Parliament Hill for a stunt to build momentum from the framework for the next steps and demand a complete end to federal support to fossil fuel companies – without loopholes. ENGOs’ supporters have sent 138,000 letters to the federal government demanding an end to all fossil fuel subsidies. Please help amplify the call and share on your social channels as you are able!
Resources
Find the photos from the action in this folder, to include in your social posts!
