Comment identifier les subventions inefficaces dédiées aux combustibles fossiles au Canada

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and Équiterre proposes a four-criteria framework to identify and eliminate 'inefficient' fossil fuel subsidies in Canada, arguing that current efforts are fragmented and lack a clear definition of inefficiency.

• Canada has made multiple commitments to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, including a G20 pledge in 2009 and a more recent federal goal to eliminate them by 2023, moving up from a previous 2025 target.
• Significant financial support for fossil fuels persists at both federal and provincial levels. Federal subsidies were 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 the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
• The lack of a standardized international or national definition of 'inefficient' subsidies hinders 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 briefing proposes four criteria to determine if a subsidy is 'efficient': compliance with climate commitments, support for a low-carbon economy, consistency with a just transition, and whether it is the optimal way to achieve the policy goal. A subsidy must meet all four to be considered efficient.
• Subsidies that support fossil fuel infrastructure or exports are likely incompatible with climate goals, as they may lock in emissions for decades. The authors note that Canada's oil and gas emissions continue to show the strongest growth in the economy, and the country may need to reduce production by 74% by 2030 to meet its fair share of global efforts.
• Fossil fuel subsidies distort the market by artificially lowering production and consumption costs, which interferes with carbon pricing and increases the risk of 'stranded assets.' Potential losses from stranded fossil fuel assets in Canada are estimated at approximately 100 billion USD.
• To ensure a 'just transition,' subsidies should not create short-term jobs in declining sectors but should instead support the creation of sustainable employment in non-polluting energy and electrification sectors, following International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines.
• While some subsidies for remote and Northern communities dependent on diesel are considered important for energy access (totaling 2.37 million CAD in 2020), the authors argue these should have a set phase-out date paired with policies for 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} }