A great battle of ideas is being waged around the energy industry in Canada…
Some in Canada view the energy industry as a one-dimensional climate change problem to be solved, chiefly by keeping oil and gas in the ground. In contrast, we propose to tell the story of Canadian energy and Canadian opportunity in a way that will change the climate of both public opinion and national policy so that Canada can achieve its potential as an environmentally responsible energy superpower.
Our work has already begun.
The Macdonald-Laurier Institute has long been Canada’s leading think tank in telling these important stories.
Our senior fellows have contributed to each aspect of the energy crisis debate; from understanding the impact of natural resources in Indigenous economic self-determination, to spelling out the role Canada ought to play in global energy security; from pushing back against cumbersome regulatory and redundant tax burdens on the oil and gas industry, to assessing the need for an international club to strengthen climate cooperation across the G7, MLI experts have been at the forefront of the issues.
A few recent highlights include:
On February 15, 2023, Heather Exner-Pirot and Martin Ignasiak published a paper, From Shield to Sword; The evolution of Indigenous economic rights in Canada, highlighting the way in which many Indigenous communities have determined that it is in their interests to pursue the economic benefits of resource development.
On January 17, 2023, MLI hosted a webinar, Race to Resources? Canada’s new critical minerals strategy and its implications, on Canada’s strategy to invest in the mining of critical minerals in order to meet the country’s energy security needs and decrease our reliance on Russia and China.
On April 12, 2022, Jack Mintz and Ron Wallace published a paper, The global energy transition confronts East vs. West realpolitik: Why energy security matters, which warns that overly rapid transitions to net zero will invite serious unintended consequences to our economic resilience and regional security.
This article originally appeared as part of a compilation in The Walrus on February 18, 2026. By Heather Exner-Pirot, February...
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This article originally appeared in Canadian Affairs. By Jerome Gessaroli, January 9, 2026 This week’s dramatic events in Venezuela alter...
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– Brian Lee Crowley
