Climate and Energy Politics in the Queen City
Big Oil in City Hall: Climate and Energy Politics in the Queen City is the first comprehensive look at the oil industry’s lobbying and advocacy campaign against Regina city council’s proposed fossil fuel sponsorship ban.
Using correspondence acquired through a Freedom of Information request, as well as interviews with five of the councillors involved, the report identifies the key players, tactics and arguments used by industry and its political allies to overturn the sponsorship amendment. It illustrates the formidable political, economic and cultural power the oil industry still wields – particularly in western Canada.
Understanding how these campaigns work and what arguments and appeals they make to the public and policymakers may provide us with lessons for how best to successfully advocate for more ambitious future climate action in cities and towns across western Canada.
Author info:
Roxanne Korpan is a Research Assistant with the Saskatchewan Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. She is a PhD Candidate in the Humanities at the University of Toronto.
Simon Enoch is the Director of the Saskatchewan Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He holds a PhD in Communication & Culture from Ryerson and York University.