Canada's Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies in 2020

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) identifies at least CAD 600 million in Canadian federal fossil fuel subsidies in 2019 and calls for greater transparency and a phase-out of these subsidies to align with climate goals.

• In 2019, federal fossil fuel subsidies in Canada were at least CAD 600 million, though this total excludes areas where data was unavailable, specifically tax-related subsidies and potential subsidies linked to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and Export Development Canada.
• The focus of fossil fuel subsidies has transitioned from exploration toward the development of exports and production infrastructure, including liquefied natural gas.
• Canada is participating in a G20 peer review of fossil fuel subsidies with Argentina to meet a 2025 phase-out commitment for inefficient subsidies, but the IISD notes that progress on this review has been slow.
• The IISD recommends that Canada complete its peer review in 2020, publish annual quantified data on all federal fossil fuel subsidies, commit to no new subsidies, and integrate subsidy reform into its next Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.
• While Canada has a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, it is not currently on track to reach its 2030 emissions reduction target, and fossil fuel subsidies are seen as a hindrance to federal climate action.

APA

Levin,, V. C. G. (2020). Canada's Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies in 2020. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/canadas-federal-fossil-fuel-subsidies-2020

Chicago

Levin,, Vanessa Corkal,Philip Gass,Julia. Canada's Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies in 2020. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/canadas-federal-fossil-fuel-subsidies-2020.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Levin, |first1=Vanessa Corkal,Philip Gass,Julia |title=Canada's Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies in 2020 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=19 February 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/canadas-federal-fossil-fuel-subsidies-2020 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{levin2020canadas, author = {Levin,, Vanessa Corkal,Philip Gass,Julia}, title = {{Canada's Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies in 2020}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/canadas-federal-fossil-fuel-subsidies-2020}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }