The petition concerns the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 emergency financial support programming for the oil and gas sector announced in April 2020, in particular the $750-million Emissions Reduction Fund and a separate $1.72-billion fund to remediate orphaned and inactive oil and gas wells. The petition seeks clarity on the impact of this programming and its related policies on climate change commitments, social and gender equity matters, and job creation targets. The petition states that the economic impact of COVID-19 on different demographics has been uneven, with low-income workers in female-dominated sectors of the economy facing the most severe job losses and reduced working hours. It is looking for information on how this particular funding will support these sectors of the workforce.
The petition asks how the federally mandated gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) was conducted and integrated into the design and implementation of these funding programs. It also requests information on how consultation and collaboration with Indigenous people was integrated into the design of these programs in areas such as prioritizing Indigenous businesses for contracts and prioritizing Indigenous land for remediation. The petition asks for details on the number of jobs created, the demographics of the workforce benefiting from this funding, and the companies benefiting from the funding.
In addition, the petition requests information on the environmental and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission metrics taken into account in the design of these programs and on which measurable results are being tracked and reported. It also asks for data on the GHG emission reductions achieved from each program and about the cost per unit of GHG emissions for projects supported by this funding.
Finally, the petition asks for details on where the information it has requested can be publicly found.