Fossil Fuels – At What Cost? - Government Support for Upstream Oil Activities in Three Canadian Provinces - Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador - November 2010 - EnviroEconomics Inc.

Oct 3, 2026

Government support for upstream oil activities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador is analyzed in this November 2010 report prepared by EnviroEconomics Inc. for the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The study provides a subsidy definition and methodological approach, reviews the oil supply sector’s physical characteristics and industry structure by jurisdiction, and summarizes the value of subsidies. It also documents oil subsidies provided by the federal government and includes acknowledgements and expert peer review contributions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages142

Reading Time5 h 58 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Scope of the Study

Overview of the Oil Supply Sector

Physical Characteristics in Canada

Industry Structure by Jurisdiction

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Newfoundland and Labrador

Subsidy Definition and Approach

Definition of Subsidy

Approach

Summary of the Value of the Subsidies

Oil Subsidies Provided by the Federal Government

Historical Context of Subsidy Programs

Fossil Fuels – At What Cost? Government support for upstream oil activities in three Canadian provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador NOVEMBER 2010 Prepared by: EnviroEconomics Inc. Dave Sawyer Seton Stiebert For the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Geneva, Switzerland [www.globalsubsidies.org](www.globalsubsidies.org) Fossil Fuels – At What Cost? Government support for upstream oil activities in three Canadian provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador NOVEMBER 2010 Prepared by: EnviroEconomics Inc. Dave Sawyer Seton Stiebert For the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Geneva, Switzerland [www.globalsubsidies.org](www.globalsubsidies.org) THE GLOBAL SUBSIDIES INITIATIVE FOSSIL FUELS – AT WHAT COST? GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR UPSTREAM OIL ACTIVITIES IN THREE CANADIAN PROVINCES: ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN, AND NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Page IV © 2010, International Institute for Sustainable Development IISD contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change and energy, measurement and assessment, and natural resources management, and the enabling role of communication technologies in these areas. We report on international negotiations and disseminate knowledge gained through collaborative projects, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries, better networks spanning the North and the South, and better global connections among researchers, practitioners, citizens and policy-makers. IISD’s vision is better living for all—sustainably; its mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably. IISD is registered as a charitable organization in Canada and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States. IISD receives core operating support from the Government of Canada, provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Environment Canada, and from the Province of Manitoba. The Institute receives project funding from numerous governments inside and outside Canada, United Nations agencies, foundations and the private sector. International Institute for Sustainable Development Head Office 161 Portage Avenue East, 6th Floor Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3B 0Y4 Tel: +1 (204) 958-7700 Fax: +1 (204) 958-7710 Web [site: www.iisd.org](site: www.iisd.org) International Institute for Sustainable Development Global Subsidies Initiative International Environment House 2 9 chemin de Balexert 1219 Châtelaine Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 917-8373 Fax: +41 22 917-8054 Web [site: www.globalsubsidies.org](site: www.globalsubsidies.org) Fossil Fuels – At What Cost? Government support for upstream oil activities in three Canadian provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador Novermber 2010 Prepared by EnviroEconomics Inc. Dave Sawyer Seton Stiebert [www.globalsubsidies.org](www.globalsubsidies.org) THE GLOBAL SUBSIDIES INITIATIVE FOSSIL FUELS – AT WHAT COST? GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR UPSTREAM OIL ACTIVITIES IN THREE CANADIAN PROVINCES: ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN, AND NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Page V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to Jotham Peters of M. K. Jaccard and Associates Inc. for modelling support, as well as Chris Bataille. Methodological support was also provided by Dr. Andrew Leach. The authors would also like to thank Kerryn Lang of the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) for some excellent support and methodology development. Peer review comments were provided by John Drexhage and Peter Wooders (International Institute for Sustainable Development), Masami Kojima (World Bank), Amy Taylor (Pembina Institute), Rick Hyndman (Canadian Association of Petroleum Prod

FAQs

What geographic scope does the report cover for government support of upstream oil activities?

It covers three Canadian provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

How does the report frame the concept of subsidies?

It includes a dedicated section defining what counts as a subsidy and an approach for assessing it.

What types of information are included about the oil supply sector?

The report reviews physical characteristics in Canada and the industry structure by jurisdiction, including separate coverage for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Oct 3, 2026

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