Environmental groups cleared of wrongdoing

Alberta inquiry clears environmental groups of wrongdoing in anti-energy campaigns

EDMONTON — Alberta’s $3.5-million public inquiry into foreign-funded anti-energy campaigns has found no evidence of legal wrongdoing by environmental groups.

In its report, the controversial inquiry led by commissioner Steve Allan found foreign money played a role in environmental campaigns opposed to the expansion of Alberta’s oilsands, but no one broke the law.

“No individual or organization, in my view, has done anything illegal. Indeed, they have exercised their rights of free speech,” the report says.

The inquiry was struck in 2019 to investigate allegations Canadian environmentalists accepting foreign money to fund campaigns aimed at thwarting the expansion of Alberta’s oilsands. After repeated extensions, the inquiry cost $3.5 million, $1 million more than its original budget.

Allan wrote in the report that he could not suggest all funding designated for Canadian environmental initiatives was intended to support antialberta energy campaigns, adding “although most certainly some of it was.”

The report claims that foreign donors provided $1.3 billion to Canadian environmental campaigns between 2003 and 2019. Of that $1.3 billion, Allan concluded that $54.1 million was spent on “anti-alberta resource development activity” — or roughly $3.3 million per year over the 16-year period. Of the total, $925 million was for “environmental initiatives,” suggesting the $1.3 billion figure does not reflect donations to campaigns targeting Alberta or its energy industry specifically.

The 657-page report offers lengthy summaries of various environmental campaigns that have been opposed to major energy projects, but it could not determine how much of a role the campaigns played in the cancellation of major resource projects.

“While anti-alberta energy campaigns may have played a role in the cancellation of some oil and gas developments, I am not in a position to find that these campaigns alone caused project delays or cancellations,” Allan wrote.

The report lists charities and non-profits as beneficiaries of foreign funding directed towards “antialberta” campaigns, reflecting government terms that focused the inquiry on issues affecting the development of oil and gas in the province. However, Allan wrote that participating in an antialberta energy campaign does not mean an organization is “against Alberta.”

The United Conservative government has long contended that foreign influences were funding groups opposed to Alberta’s oil and gas industry in an attempt to “landlock” the province by curtailing oilsands development.

At a Thursday news conference, Energy Minister Sonya Savage praised the report, saying it shines a muchneeded light on efforts to “hurt” Alberta’s energy sector and the Albertans who work in it.

“Albertans have a right to be upset,” she said. Although she acknowledged the report doesn’t suggest anything illegal, she blamed environmental campaigns for lost jobs and revenue because of cancelled energy projects.

“Was it illegal? No. Was it wrong? I think the majority of Albertans would say it was wrong, and they want to know how it happened, who was involved, and how they can make sure it doesn’t happen to the energy resources of the future,” said Savage.

On Thursday, Alberta NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley accused Savage of being dishonest about the report, saying it wouldn’t create any jobs, only anger.

“She is hyping up the report — torquing the report — well beyond what any reasonable factual review of it could support, and she’s doing it without the commissioner being there,” said Notley, adding there was no “maniacal plan” or impropriety on the part of people talking about the environment in Alberta.

On Thursday, Allan released a statement that said he will not comment on the report or the inquiry’s process.

“Counsel to the inquiry have informed me of the restrictions in law placed on commissioners following the delivery of their reports, which would prevent continued engagement on the issues addressed within their terms of reference,” Allan said.

Environmental law charity Ecojustice, which is named in the report, has raised concerns about the inquiry’s process , calling it biased from the outset, procedurally unfair, and lacking in transparency and public hearings. Ecojustice launched a legal challenge against the inquiry that was dismissed by the Court of Queen’s Bench in May.

Ecojustice executive director Devon Page said in an interview with Postmedia Thursday the inquiry was “a colossal waste” of time and money that could have been spent tackling environmental concerns more seriously, since information the report lays out could have been found with a Google search. Page noted the report demonstrates that there is remarkable transparency in the non-profit sector. He added he is concerned that the Alberta government created a public inquiry for political reasons.

“This was just intended to mislead the public. It was never about a fact-finding exercise,” Page said, saying it was “ludicrous” to single out the environmental community for the woes of the oil and gas industry.

“It’s almost as if Sonya Savage was saying that the environmental community invented climate change,” he said.