Pipelines or Progress: Government support for oil and gas pipelines in Canada

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines Canadian government financial support for three major oil and gas pipeline projects since 2018, arguing that such funding risks public money and undermines climate commitments.

• Canadian federal and provincial governments provided over CAD 23 billion in support to oil and gas pipelines between 2018 and 2021, a figure the authors suggest is likely an underestimate due to a lack of government transparency. This support includes over CAD 11 billion in loans and at least CAD 10 billion in loan guarantees or liabilities, with more than CAD 10 billion provided after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The report analyzed support for three specific pipeline projects that remained incomplete at the time of writing: Trans Mountain, which received at least eight different types of financial support measures; Keystone XL, which received two; and Coastal GasLink, which also received two.
• The authors argue that public financial support for pipelines increases carbon emissions for decades and contradicts Canada's G7 and G20 commitments to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. They state that such investments are incompatible with a net-zero economy, as illustrated by the International Energy Agency, and suggest shifting funds toward clean energy industries, economic diversification, and support for workers and communities.

APA

Corkal,, V. (2021). Pipelines or Progress: Government support for oil and gas pipelines in Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/oil-gas-pipelines-green-recovery-canada

Chicago

Corkal,, Vanessa. Pipelines or Progress: Government support for oil and gas pipelines in Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/oil-gas-pipelines-green-recovery-canada.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Corkal, |first1=Vanessa |title=Pipelines or Progress: Government support for oil and gas pipelines in Canada |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=5 July 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/oil-gas-pipelines-green-recovery-canada |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{corkal2021pipelines, author = {Corkal,, Vanessa}, title = {{Pipelines or Progress: Government support for oil and gas pipelines in Canada}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/oil-gas-pipelines-green-recovery-canada}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }