Letter from Canada: Federal government attempts emissions strategy
Federal carbon pricing options may allow the central government to outflank provincial opposition
The Trudeau government surprised the Canadian oil and gas sector in the middle of July. As part of its consultation process to impose hard emission caps on the sector, the federal government offered a choice of two carbon pricing options: a sector-specific cap-and-trade system, or a modified carbon pricing system. The ultimate goal of these two options appears to be to force a reduction in Canadian oil and gas production, while avoiding a successful constitutional challenge from the producing provinces. The provinces have jurisdiction over resource development, but the federal government has the right to impose carbon taxes to combat climate change, based on a Canadian Supreme Court decision

Also in this section
20 March 2025
As cash-strapped Western governments commit to substantially raising defence expenditure, a similar dynamic is playing out in Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas sector, as Saudi Aramco maintains it heavy capex push despite reduced revenues
20 March 2025
Tariffs, sanctions and trade conflicts are upending the oil market, impacting crude differentials and shipping rates and creating uncertainty
20 March 2025
While advanced economies debate peak fossil fuel demand, billions of people still lack access to reliable and affordable energy, especially in the Global South
19 March 2025
Iran’s oil is caught in the crosshairs of support from China and Russia and US maximum pressure, with options becoming more and more limited