TORONTO — In response to the oil and gas funding package announced by the federal government today, which includes $1.7 billion to clean up orphan wells and $750M in loans to finance methane reductions, Greenpeace Canada Senior Energy Strategist Keith Stewart said:

“We’ve been urging the Trudeau government to bail out people and not polluters, and today’s announcement is a step in that direction. These measures will put people to work, providing much-needed jobs while cleaning up some of the oil industry’s existing mess. As the government explores kickstarting the new economy, we urge them to focus the recovery package on shovel-worthy projects that will help solve the climate and biodiversity crises unfolding in the background of COVID-19: cleaning up pollution, scaling clean energy solutions and restoring vital ecosystems like wetlands and forests.”

Greenpeace Canada, along with many other organizations, wrote an open letter to the federal government urging them to bail out people, not polluters. It states:

“Instead of providing a bail out to oil and gas companies in the form of share purchases or loan guarantees, the Federal government must create an economic stimulus package that includes three critical measures: 

  • Oil and gas workers, like all workers from all sectors, need to be able to immediately access income support in order to preserve personal and public health. This support includes increased access to employment insurance and paid emergency leave as needed for all workers, regardless of immigration status, as well as income security. This applies to migrant and undocumented workers. 
  • Stimulus money should offer immediate relief directly to workers and provide opportunities for training, education and employment in existing and emerging low-carbon sectors like energy efficiency, technology, healthcare and renewable energy. A program styled on the bailout of automakers in 2008 will unfortunately put the public at similar risk of having spent billions of dollars with little to show for it in a decade.
  • Money for orphan well cleanup should be administered by an independent fund with representation from Indigenous communities, local governments and landowners who can ensure it is used to reclaim wells where the company is bankrupt and its remaining assets have already been spent for this purpose. It should also be tied to regulatory change in Alberta to ensure the province puts in place a polluter-pays program so the public is not left with these liabilities in the future.”

With respect to the longer-term stimulus package, Greenpeace Canada is calling on the federal government to focus on five priority areas: 

  • Providing economic relief directly to people (not polluters or corporate executives);
  • Universal health care for all;
  • Kickstarting a low-carbon, circular economy;
  • Investing in climate action and restoring biodiversity; and
  • Respecting Indigenous rights.

Greenpeace Canada continues to have concerns regarding the safety of ongoing pipeline construction during the pandemic, and will closely monitor how the Export Development Corporation and Business Development Bank of Canada credit support funds are spent.  

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For more information:

Please see our briefing note, System Restart: Recommendations for a Green and Just Recovery, for further detail on Greenpeace Canada’s position on COVID-19 economic recovery plans and funding.

Contact:

Jesse Firempong, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Canada

[email protected]; +1 778-996-6549

Keith Stewart, Senior Energy Strategist, Greenpeace Canada

[email protected]; +1  416-659-0294