FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2017

CONTACT:
Adam Scott, adam [at] priceofoil [dot] org, +1 416 347 3858

Oil Change International reacts to report from Canada’s Auditor General on fossil fuel subsidies

Today, Auditor General Michael Ferguson released his spring report reviewing Canada’s plan to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. In response, Alex Doukas, Senior Campaigner at Oil Change International released the following statement:

“If only the Canadian Government was as good at meeting promises as it was at making them.

“Canada’s Auditor General revealed today that 8 years after promising to phase out fossil subsidies, there is still no plan to do so. Despite Trudeau’s 2015 campaign promise to phase out dirty energy subsidies, his government still hasn’t developed a game plan.

“The Trudeau Government took its first commendable steps to end handouts to oil and gas companies in Budget 2017, but now they need to show the world they have a credible plan to end all fossil fuel subsidies.

“Climate change is already a full-blown crisis, but despite some progress, the Trudeau Government is spraying jet fuel on the fire by continuing to subsidise oil and gas companies. It has to stop, and soon. Canada must establish a clear, ambitious timeline to phase out all its fossil fuel subsidies by 2020 at the latest.”

 

Background:

  • In the Liberal Party campaign platform, the Trudeau government promised to meet Canada’s 2009 G20 commitment (made under Prime Minister Harper) to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

  • At the North American Leaders’ summit in 2016, the Trudeau government pledged to end inefficient fossil fuel subsidies no later than 2025.

  • In its first budget in 2016, the Trudeau Government actually expanded fossil fuel subsidies, but scaled back some major subsidies to oil and gas producers in Budget 2017.

  • A 2016 analysis by Oil Change International, Climate Action Network Canada, Environmental Defence, and Équiterre found that continued subsidies to oil and gas companies threaten to undermine the Trudeau government’s planned nationwide floor price on carbon dioxide emissions.

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