Comment identifier les subventions inefficaces dédiées aux combustibles fossiles au Canada

The briefing argues that Canada lacks a clear definition of 'inefficient' fossil fuel subsidies, which hinders its commitment to phase them out. It proposes four criteria for evaluation: compliance with climate commitments, support for a low-emission economy, consistency with a just transition, and optimal policy achievement. The authors recommend adopting the WTO definition of subsidies and applying these criteria to both federal and provincial funding to ensure transparency and accountability.

• Canada has committed to phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, moving its deadline forward to 2023 from 2025, and aims to eliminate public financing for the international fossil fuel sector in 2022 and coal power by 2030.
• Substantial financial support for fossil fuels continues in Canada; federal subsidies totaled at least 1.91 billion CAD in 2020, while the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador provided at least 2.5 billion CAD in 2020-2021.
• The lack of a standardized international or national definition of 'inefficient' subsidies obstructs progress. The authors recommend Canada adopt the World Trade Organization (WTO) definition, which covers direct transfers, revenue losses, risk transfers, and the provision of goods and services.
• The proposed first criterion for efficiency is compliance with climate commitments. Subsidies are deemed inefficient if they support fossil fuel infrastructure that locks in emissions for decades or facilitates exports (Scope 3 emissions), contradicting the need to reduce oil and gas production by 74% by 2030 to meet fair-share climate responsibilities.
• The second criterion focuses on supporting a low-emission economy. Fossil fuel subsidies are viewed as market distortions that interfere with carbon pricing and increase the risk of stranded assets, which are estimated at approximately 100 billion USD in Canada.
• The third criterion requires consistency with a 'just transition.' Subsidies that attract workers into a declining sector without providing social protection or skill development violate International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines and Canada's international obligations.
• The fourth criterion assesses whether a measure is the optimal way to achieve a policy goal. While some subsidies for remote and Northern communities depending on diesel (totaling 2.37 million CAD in 2020) may be necessary short-term, they should have a set phase-out date to avoid blocking sustainable alternatives.

APA

Boisseau-Bouvier, É., & Cameron, L. (2022). Comment identifier les subventions inefficaces dédiées aux combustibles fossiles au Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/inefficient-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canada-fr.pdf

Chicago

Boisseau-Bouvier, Émile, and Laura Cameron. Comment identifier les subventions inefficaces dédiées aux combustibles fossiles au Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/inefficient-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canada-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Boisseau-Bouvier |first1=Émile |last2=Cameron |first2=Laura |title=Comment identifier les subventions inefficaces dédiées aux combustibles fossiles au Canada |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/inefficient-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canada-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{boisseaubouvier2022comment, author = {Boisseau-Bouvier, Émile and Cameron, Laura}, title = {{Comment identifier les subventions inefficaces dédiées aux combustibles fossiles au Canada}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/inefficient-fossil-fuel-subsidies-canada-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }