Strong environmental regulations are in Canada’s national interest, yet the federal government and Alberta plan to unravel nine protections in historic setback for climate policy
VANCOUVER — UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES (November 27, 2025)
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith dealt a devastating blow to climate and nature by signing a memorandum of understanding for a new Alberta-to–British Columbia bitumen pipeline while scrapping environmental policies. The David Suzuki Foundation vehemently opposes this proposed pipeline and calls on the federal government to stand firm on environmental standards and advance Canada’s clean energy transition.
“Planning to build a new pipeline in 2025 is fundamentally irreconcilable with the International Court of Justice’s opinion affirming states’ duties to prevent further climate harm,” said David Suzuki Foundation climate director Sabaa Khan. “The federal government can’t claim to respect its climate commitments under international law while underwriting fossil fuel expansion that locks Canada into decades of avoidable emissions. This is not only a moral and legal contradiction; it is a massive financial risk.”
The Foundation denounces the prime minister’s misleading comment that this pipeline represents an “energy transition” when it aims to scrap hard-fought environmental protections. “The notion that Canada can meaningfully shift toward sustainability while doubling down on fossil fuel infrastructure is simply unrealistic,” Khan said. “A true energy transition can’t be built on expanded oil pipelines, liquefied natural gas exports or increased fossil fuel production — even with unproven ‘carbon capture’ tacked on.”
Every dollar invested in new oil and gas infrastructure today is a future stranded asset tomorrow, and a pollution legacy that Canadians will be forced to clean up long after profits have left the country. “Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change. Canadians deserve a government that protects them from climate and liability risks, not one that sacrifices environmental standards to prop up a declining, high-pollution industry. This pipeline is legally indefensible,” Khan said.
Indigenous communities are most at risk from climate change because of their close ties to the natural environment, the injustices and burdens of colonialism, and the effects of industrial resource extraction. “This proposed pipeline is a massive economic and health threat that takes us further away from true reconciliation,” Khan said.
“B.C.’s north coast is rugged, wild and priceless. Home to iconic species and sensitive ecosystems, its waters are famous for fierce storms and treacherous passages,” said Erin Roger, nature director at the David Suzuki Foundation. “A new pipeline will destroy habitats, displace species and increase the risk of oil spills, which would be catastrophic for the region. Weakening the tanker ban with ‘appropriate adjustments’ for increased tanker traffic defeats the purpose of the ban. We need our political leaders to focus on projects that protect and restore natural spaces — not roll back environmental safeguards.”
The Foundation argues that Canada should be using this political moment to focus on real nation-building projects.
“More than wasting precious time and money on a pipeline that will never be built, this MOU is also a death blow to Canada’s clean electricity regulations, adding to the abandonment of climate action from this federal government,” said Stephen Thomas, clean energy manager at the David Suzuki Foundation. “Low-cost renewable energy and a strengthened east-west grid are among the strongest opportunities we have to save Canadians money on their energy bills, create good jobs and position Canada for the future. Our federal government needs to get out of its own way and start building the future we know is possible.”
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For more information or interviews, please contact:
Rosie Rattray, rrattray@davidsuzuki.org, 416.570.3728