SCCF Statement on the Final Report of the Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns

For Immediate Release: Oct 21, 2021

Edmonton, Alberta - The finding of no wrongdoing on the part of Sierra Club Canada Foundation and other Canadian environmental groups shows that the Anti-Alberta Inquiry was a complete waste of time and money, according to Sierra Club Canada Foundation. 

“It's time to stop finger pointing and get on with dealing with the climate crisis, including upskilling and creating jobs for those who are left out of work by the downturn in the oil and gas sector in Alberta,” according to Gretchen Fitzgerald, National Programs Director of the Sierra Club. 

“The many Albertans who want to see a just transition to renewables, including workers who want employment alternatives to the fossil fuel industry, are a driving force behind the push for such a transition in Canada. As a result, private industry in Alberta has also come to see the benefits of investing in the green sector and industry-led solutions.”

The organization points to a poll conducted by Abacus Data and Iron & Earth, released in July of this year, which found that a majority of Canadian fossil fuel industry workers are interested in switching to jobs in the net-zero economy and have concerns about being left behind.

The organization states that a just transition to a green economy is not a question of economic-benefit versus the environment, but is a question of taking action to safe-guard our climate and provide people with a just future. After a summer of forest fires, droughts and floods the imperative to deal with climate change should be abundantly clear to all leaders. Stoking divisions, like those promoted in this Inquiry, means we will all miss out on opportunities, they say.

Sierra Club Canada Foundation declined to participate in the Inquiry because the inquiry failed to meet the conditions for participants laid out in its own Terms of Reference, and because the validity for the process was highly questionable.

“From early on, it was clear that casting blame on the environmental sector was the foregone conclusion of the Inquiry,“ according to Fizgerald. “Wildfires raged across the West this summer, and people breathed in smoke they generated across the country. The time is truly up for climate denial. We encourage all governments across the country to get it together, stop the blame game, and fight climate change with the urgency required.”

The Sierra Club Canada Foundation strongly condemns the language used in the Commissioners’ report, which they say is designed to categorize activities they and allies undertook to protect the environment and stand up of impacted communities and Indigenous rights as “Anti-Albertan”, and stands 100% behind its volunteers, members and staff in their grassroots efforts to protect and restore nature and get kids active & outside in Alberta. 

“I am so proud and grateful for the depth of knowledge, activities, and positions we took over the years that are summarized in the Inquiry Report. Our volunteers, members, and staff  continue to protect nature, fight climate change,  and encourage everyone to appreciate the outdoors. They contribute their time in the hopes of fostering a knowledge and appreciation  of nature that can benefit generations to come.” states Fitzgerald. 

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Media Contact: Gretchen Fitzgerald, National Programs Director - 902-444-7096 / gretchenf@sierraclub.ca