To highlight key powerful players within Canada’s fossil fuel industry, we developed the Fossil-Power Top 50 listing, with detailed profiles for the most influential organizations in and around the sector. The Fossil-Power Top 50 was assembled over the past four years as the Corporate Mapping Project team conducted extensive research on the economic organization of the industry and its reach into wider society.

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Our listing focuses on extractive corporations with the greatest emissions footprint (including end-use emissions when extracted fossil fuels are consumed), corporations that play a particularly central role within a provincial jurisdiction or sub-sector of the industry, and organizations that facilitate or promote continued expansion and dependence on fossil fuel extraction.

Each profile contains details on the corporation, its background, how it exerts influence on communities and/or public policy, and a visual map showing its connections to other players in the fossil fuel industry as well as the wider corporate sector and notable connections to public bodies, think tanks, industry groups, etc.

The Fossil-Power Top 50 is organized in three categories:

    • Emitters – Corporations based in Western Canada that are directly involved extracting, processing and transporting oil, gas and coal.
    • Enablers – Organizations that enable fossil fuel production such as banks and industry-friendly regulators.
    • Legitimators – Organizations that persuade the public or political elites that ‘business as usual’ must continue or that a timely shift away from dependence on fossil fuels is unfeasible or unnecessary. Legitimators include industry associations, think tanks, lobby groups, business councils and pro-oil advocacy groups.
Case Study Head Office Status
Alberta Chamber of Resources Edmonton, Alberta Legitimator
Alberta Energy Regulator Calgary, Alberta Enabler
Arc Resources Calgary, Alberta Emitter
ATCO Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Bank of Montreal Toronto, Ontario Enabler
Bank of Nova Scotia Toronto, Ontario Enabler
BC Oil and Gas Commission Victoria & Fort St. John, British Columbia Enabler
Business Council of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Legitimator
Business Council of Canada Ottawa, Ontario Legitimator
C3 Alliance Vancouver, British Columbia Enabler
Canada Action N/A Legitimator
Canada West Foundation Calgary, Alberta Legitimator
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) Calgary, Alberta Legitimator
Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) Calgary, Alberta Legitimator
Canadian Gas Association Ottawa, Ontario Legitimator
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Toronto, Ontario Enabler
Canadian Natural Resources Limited Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) Calgary, Alberta Legitimator
Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board Toronto, Ontario Enabler
C.D. Howe Institute Toronto, Ontario Legitimator
Cenovus Energy Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Crescent Point Energy Corporation Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Edwards School of Business Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Legitimator
Enbridge Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Encana Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Energy Council of Canada Ottawa, Ontario Legitimator
Fraser Institute Vancouver, British Columbia Legitimator
Gibson Energy Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Husky Energy Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Imperial Oil Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Kinder Morgan Canada Calgary, Alberta Emitter
LNG Canada N/A Emitter
MacDonald-Laurier Institute Ottawa, Ontario Legitimator
Manning Centre for Building Democracy Calgary, Alberta Legitimator
MEG Energy Calgary, Alberta Emitter
National Energy Board Calgary, Alberta Enabler
Nexen Energy (CNOOC) Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Pembina Pipeline Corporation Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Power Corporation of Canada Toronto, Ontario & Montreal, Quebec Enabler
The Rebel Media Toronto, Ontario Legitimator
Resource Works Vancouver, British Columbia Legitimator
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Toronto, Ontario Enabler
Shell Canada Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Suncor Calgary, Alberta Emitter
Teck Resources Vancouver, British Columbia Emitter
Toronto-Dominion Bank Toronto, Ontario Enabler
Tourmaline Oil Corporation Calgary, Alberta Emitter
TransAlta Calgary, Alberta Emitter
TransCanada Calgary, Alberta Emitter
University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta Legitimator

Download the Fossil-Power Top 50 here »