Direct Lobbying Transparency
| Overall Assessment | Comment | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive | TC Energy discloses extensive detail on every aspect of its climate-policy lobbying. It names a wide array of specific measures it has engaged on, including the Canadian government’s “2030 Emissions Reduction Plan” and its component initiatives such as the “Federal Carbon Pollution Pricing System,” “Federal GHG Offset System,” “Clean Fuel Regulations,” the proposed “Oil and Gas Emissions Cap,” forthcoming “Clean Electricity Regulations,” and revisions to the federal “Oil and Gas Methane Regulations.” The company also lists provincial and U.S. policies it lobbies, for example Alberta’s “TIER” program, Ontario’s “Emissions Performance Standard,” Saskatchewan’s “Management and Reduction of GHG Act,” Quebec’s “Cap-and-Trade” programme and Bill 44, Oregon’s “Cap and Reduce Executive Order,” “Regional Haze Rule,” “Cleaner Air Oregon,” and the federal “Clean Fuel Standard,” as well as consultations on NRCan’s “Hydrogen Strategy for Canada” and CCUS policy. TC Energy is equally explicit about how and to whom it lobbies. It describes providing written submissions to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Finance Canada, meeting with “representatives of the Oregon DEQ,” participating in technical working groups, and advocating “through our involvement with the Northwest Gas Association” and other industry bodies such as the American Gas Association. The company notes that its environmental experts “directly engaged with government and through industry associations” and that it registers lobbyists in multiple jurisdictions, demonstrating clear disclosure of both direct and indirect mechanisms and their governmental targets. Finally, the company sets out the concrete policy outcomes it seeks. It advocates “permitting reform to accelerate the regulatory process,” supports “tax policies that incentivize early investment in clean energy systems,” seeks eligibility for infrastructure across “all three CCUS value-chain components” with credit stackability, and promotes carbon-pricing designs that “balance economic growth with GHG emission reductions” while guarding against carbon leakage. It also presses for methane-reduction rules consistent with the federal 75 % target and for pipeline-safety updates that “reduce unnecessary emissions.” This level of specificity about desired legislative and regulatory changes, together with the detailed description of mechanisms and the extensive list of policies named, demonstrates comprehensive transparency in TC Energy’s climate-related lobbying activities. | 4 |