Blocking Ambition: Fossil fuel subsidies in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador

The report finds that British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador provided at least CAD 2.5 billion in fossil fuel subsidies in FY 2020/21 and CAD 1.5 billion in FY 2021/22. It argues that these subsidies incentivize production that might not otherwise occur and hinder Canada's ability to meet its 1.5°C climate target.

• In the 2020/21 fiscal year, four Canadian provinces provided a combined total of at least CAD 2.5 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, with figures for FY 2021/22 reaching 1.5 billion as of December 2021. These funds are used to incentivize production and result in lost royalty and tax revenue for provincial governments.
• Specific subsidy totals for FY 2020/21 vary by province: Alberta provided the highest amount at CAD 1.32 billion, followed by British Columbia at CAD 765.3 million, Saskatchewan at CAD 409.3 million, and Newfoundland and Labrador at CAD 82.6 million.
• Provincial actions, including using fossil fuels as a pandemic recovery strategy and introducing new drilling incentives or royalty structure changes, undermine climate goals. The report states that Canada cannot limit warming to 1.5°C without provincial action to phase out these subsidies, regardless of federal commitments to end them by 2023.

APA

Corkal,, J. M. B. (2022). Blocking Ambition: Fossil fuel subsidies in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/blocking-ambition-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canadian-provinces

Chicago

Corkal,, Janetta McKenzie,Estan Beedell,Vanessa. Blocking Ambition: Fossil fuel subsidies in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/publications/blocking-ambition-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canadian-provinces.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Corkal, |first1=Janetta McKenzie,Estan Beedell,Vanessa |title=Blocking Ambition: Fossil fuel subsidies in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=14 February 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/blocking-ambition-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canadian-provinces |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{corkal2022blocking, author = {Corkal,, Janetta McKenzie,Estan Beedell,Vanessa}, title = {{Blocking Ambition: Fossil fuel subsidies in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/blocking-ambition-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canadian-provinces}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }