Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Canadian Gas Association (CGA) demonstrates policy engagement that is broadly misaligned with policy pathways for limiting global warming to under 1.5 C in line with the Paris Agreement. The group advocates for fossil gas infrastructure expansion in Canada and undertakes obstructive advocacy on climate-related proposals.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: CGA has limited top-line messaging on climate policy. InfluenceMap could not find any recent evidence of CGA's position on the Paris Agreement or a 2050 net-zero target. The group appears to misrepresent climate science: CGA de-emphasized the climate change impacts of methane emissions in an October 2024 testimony to a federal consultation in Canada.
CGA is unsupportive of regulatory action on climate change. For example, in CGA’s January 2025 comments on a consultation in Ontario, it raised concerns with the Ontario Energy Board undertaking policymaking related to energy transition, and advocated for it to “focus on its core mandate of economic regulation.” Similarly, in its August 2024 submission to Canada’s federal pre-budget consultation, CGA advocated for emissions reduction policies that prioritize "affordability, reliability, and acceptability," contingent on government support for the fossil gas industry, while promoting voluntary and technology-led action from the gas industry to reduce energy sector emissions.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policies: CGA undertakes negative advocacy on climate-related regulations. A CGA press release in March 2025 advocated for the removal of Canada’s consumer carbon tax, with this position reiterated to the Ontario government directly in a January 2025 consultation comment. The group also appears unsupportive of energy efficiency policies, appearing to advocate against what it called as “aggressive” building codes under Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy in a July 2024 press release.
Positioning on Energy Transition: CGA opposes an energy transition and promotes new investments in fossil gas infrastructure in Canada. The group frequently advocates for expansion of fossil gas use in end-uses such as buildings and transport, and its advocacy positions underpin a strategy to preserve gas-based thermal energy pathways. This contrasts with a strategy focused on widespread electrification of end-uses, such as adoption of EVs and heat pumps, recommended by the latest scientific guidance from the IPCC. For instance, CGA advocated for the expansion of residential gas infrastructure to the federal government in October 2024 testimony and August 2024 consultation response. Similarly, the group advocated for an increased role for renewable natural gas (RNG) in transport and buildings sectors, as evident in January 2024 Ontario consultation response and advocated for the introduction of a new investment tax credit for RNG in an August 2024 consultation response. In the former consultation, CGA also promoted expansion of gas uses across residential, industrial, and agriculture sectors, and advocated for measures to expedite fossil gas investments.
The association also attempts to weaken decarbonization policies. In a testimony to a pre-budget consultation in November 2023, CGA pushed for a weaker Investment Tax Credit for Clean Hydrogen by advocating for the inclusion of fossil gas-derived hydrogen in the policy.
This summary was last updated in Q3 2025.