Carney government’s fossil fuel push fails Canadians on affordability, climate, and reconciliation

Press Release

September 11, 2025

OTTAWA/TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN ANISHNAABEG PEOPLE — The Carney government seems determined to use its rushed and flawed Building Canada Act to boost fossil fuel mega projects and flood global markets with made-in-Canada climate pollution for decades to come.

“Turbo charging” our LNG exports will not make life more affordable for Canadians, but it will help worsen the heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods that increasingly threaten communities across this country. Prime Minister Carney risks exposing Canadians to both higher energy bills and costly stranded assets if a global glut of LNG develops as ever-cheaper renewables and storage continue outcompeting gas in Asia and Europe.

A “grand bargain” based on the massively subsidized Pathways carbon capture project coupled with a potential new export pipeline will not solve the housing crisis or boost clean energy, but it will send good money after bad to prop up corporate oil sands profits as global oil demand enters an era of terminal decline. Moreover, it is troubling to hear the Prime Minister say the Pathways project may be designated as a national interest project by the Grey Cup – in just over two months – despite Canada’s constitutional obligation to consult meaningfully with Indigenous peoples on such a large and untested project.

Ecojustice has been warning that nothing in the Building Canada Act requires national interest projects be consistent with Canada’s commitments on climate and biodiversity. We see today the consequence of the law’s failure to define “national interest” and set out criteria that truly support our country’s long-term sustainability and economic autonomy.

Six in ten Canadians believe that growing cost of living is the top challenge facing Canada. Canadians deserve better than rushed decisions disguised as progress. If this government is serious about affordability, reconciliation, and climate leadership, it must stop bending the definition of ‘national interest’ to serve fossil fuel giants. It’s time for a clear reset—one that puts the well-being of people, the planet, and future generations at the center of nation-building, not outdated industries and short-term profits.

“This moment demands infrastructure that builds resilience, not risk. Canadians are being told that expanding fossil fuel exports will help with affordability, but that’s simply not true. These projects won’t lower energy bills or improve everyday life. Fast-tracking fossil fuel mega-projects under the Building Canada Act won’t make life more affordable for everyday Canadians. It will make it harder. More heatwaves, fires, floods, and rising costs will hit communities while public dollars are wasted propping up industries in decline. This isn’t a plan for affordability or Canadian autonomy based on sustainable growth—it’s a bailout for polluters, paid for by Canadians.” – Charlie Hatt, program director – climate, Ecojustice

Contact us

Kristy Hayter, Acting Director, Strategic Communications, Ecojustice
khayter@ecojustice.ca
604-685-5618 ext. 217

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