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Weak legislative and regulatory procedure in Alberta

The Alberta Energy Regulator is riddled with systemic weaknesses. These weaknesses stem from structural conflicts of interest, inconsistent enforcement, lack of transparency and chronic under-performance in environmental protection. The 2024 Premier's Review of the AER has clearly documented these issues.

Alberta's Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) is responsible for environmental policy, monitoring, protected areas, water, wildlife, and climate related matters. The EPA is weak systemically, structurally and in policy; these weaknesses negatively affect environmental protection, cumulative effects management and Indigenous rights. The EPA administers Alberta's flagship environmental statute the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) this legislation is meant to "support and promote the protection, enhancement and wise use of the environment." In practice this legislation is outdated, fragmented, weakly enforced and structurally incapable of addressing modern environmental realities, especially cumulative effects, climate change, loss of biodiversity, water management and protection of Indigenous inherent, Treaty and Constitutional rights.

Alberta will have to make significant amendments to its legislations, regulations, policies and directives well before an agreement such as this is implemented. Alberta does not adequately protect Albertans, our future generations nor the environment.

Cutting approval time and creating jobs

The Government of Alberta and Canada repeatedly speak of reducing regulatory timelines and processes to attract investment, ensure project certainty and create jobs. Perhaps the solution is not cutting red tape but hiring more Government Officials and private sector professionals to conduct, review, assess, make determinations, draft conditions and monitor for compliance! That would create many more jobs, even within the project, while strengthening and streamlining regulatory processes and environmental protection. Additionally, First Nations and Metis should receive increased capacity funding to undertake assessments, meaningfully participate in the duty to consult and provide oversight and monitoring to ensure compliance. First…

The Alberta Government is Hurting ALL of Canada

For decades the Indiginous people of Canada have been raising the alarm about climate change. They have repeatedly warned about the harms of clear cutting, water pollution, animal habitat destruction, and the dangers of carbon emissions. Clearly the intent of the current UCP government is to make it as easy as possible for oil and gas companies and mining companies to not only push through projects without prior informed consent, but to allow them to do so while ignoring any regulations designed to protect our environment, and force them to clean up their mess when they are done extracting resources…

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