Activist Groups and Environmental NGOs have taken several stances in support of Canadian low-carbon energy policies. They have been critical of the role of the Oil industry and its claims against low-carbon policies in Canada. Other think tanks have provided their own research expertise to produce findings that highlight the effectiveness of climate policies. Their research also identifies areas of improvement needed to ensure that the government meets its pledged targets.
Greenpeace was established in 1971, in Vancouver. Their primary objective as an environmental NGO is placing accountability on corporations and governments in their environmental stances and policies. The organization advocates for “non-violent, creative confrontation” in combating environmental issues.
Greenpeace Canada has consistently criticized oil and gas companies for their role in driving the climate crisis. In a September 2024 article, they draw attention to actions by American states and cities to hold these companies accountable for pollution and urge the Canadian government to create a Canadian Recovery Fund—a resource funded by oil and gas companies to address climate-related damages.
🔗 Read More: https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/story/67245/climate-crisis-pressure-mounts-on-oil-companies/
The organization supports an emissions cap on oil, noting how oil and gas companies actively weaken climate policies through lobbying. Specifically, Greenpeace calls out the CPAP for their lobbying efforts against the emissions cap.
🔗 Read More: https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/story/66325/buckle-up-the-oil-industry-is-driving-us-toward-disaster/
Greenpeace is also a supporter of the federal carbon tax, pushing back against political narratives that blame it for the cost-of-living crisis. In a March 2024 article, they propose several solutions which aim to balance climate policy with affordability, including:
Environmental Defence is a Canadian environmental advocacy organization established in 1984. Their focus is on facts and results driven advocacy, through lawful non-partisan collaboration with various levels of government.
One focal area of Environmental Defence’s advocacy has been on Alberta’s Energy Transition. The organization has emphasized Alberta’s role in contributing to “a third of the entire country’s carbon footprint”. They are critical of the Albertan government’s lack of climate policy, alongside their allowance of tar sand mining. Environmental Defence has identified potential for the province to be a leader in the development of clean energy projects, and has emphasized for Alberta to make efforts to transition towards more focus on renewable energy.