On July 10, federal officials provided an update on the wildfires and had recorded more than 3,100 fires across Canada. In Quebec alone, several thousand hectares of wild forest have already burned. In the Northern of Quebec it’s extremely dry, the region didn’t received enough rain during the spring. In recent weeks, several fires have threatened major hydroelectric facilities in James Bay region. Furthermore, the water level of the dams reservoirs is among the lowest in the last 10 years. These Northern dams supply electricity to virtually all the province of Quebec and a large part of the Eastern states of United States.
As climate is spiraling out of control around the planet with the intensification of heat waves, flooding in many parts of the world, and accelerated ice melt in Arctic. This summer increasing wildfires in Canada will unfortunately break the record for greenhouse gas emissions of the summer of 2023. In 2023, the wildfires in Canada released an amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to ten years of fire emissions.
Meanwhile, as the Northern of Canada is in fire, the government of Canada is planing new oil pipeline projects. Recently Amnesty International unequivocally condemned Canada’s decisions to: roll back its climate emissions targets; and endorse the planning of a new oil pipeline in Alberta and British Columbia coast while simultaneously pushing LNG expansion.
The construction of new fossil-fuel infrastructure jeopardizes Canada’s obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement and puts the health of two billion people at risk. Yet Prime Minister made earlier this year the commitments that his government would respect international treaties. Per say, Canada recently voted in favor of a new UN climate accountability resolution recognizing that states are legally bound to limit dangerous climate heating and protect communities.
Political hypocrisy regarding the climate crisis in Canada
In the context of political hypocrisy regarding the climate crisis, it is not surprising that Steven Guilbeault resigned from his position as Minister in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet in November 2025. Guilbeault is a long-time environmentalist. He has been the initiator of several environmental awareness campaigns in Quebec and Canada. His departure was prompted by a profound disagreement regarding new environmental and energy policies. In particular, he felt that the government’s decisions represented major setbacks compared to Canada’s climate commitments.
First elected in 2019, Mr. Guilbeault served as Minister of Canadian Heritage and then as Minister of Environment and Climate Change (from 2021 to March 2025). In his farewell address to the House of Commons in Ottawa, Guilbeault pledged to continue his fight against climate change.
The fight for our planet is the fight of our generation, he continued. “I fully intend to keep fighting,” Guilbeault emphasized.
Asian markets is shaky
Perhaps Canada should consider renewable energy, given that the Asian market is now shaky and that private investors are not stepping up. Indeed, according to analysts the private sector has taken a step back in its commitment for financing oil pipelines.
It’s questionable whether oil companies will be willing to make the necessary investments to fill these pipelines, given that starting a new oil sands project in Alberta is extremely expensive, explained Janetta MacKenzie, director of the oil and gas program at the Pembina Institute, a clean energy think tank. (Le Devoir)
According to MacKenzie, the government’s argument for opening Asian markets to new pipelines is shaky. For example, in April, China reduced its oil consumption by 15% to 20% compared to 12 months earlier. Electric vehicle charging there increased by nearly 70% compared to the previous year. (Le Devoir)
AI and the construction of data centers in Alberta
Another threat looms over Canadian forests and ecosystem according to Amnesty International the rapid expansion of generative AI and the construction of data centers globally raise environmental concerns, including those posed by the burning of fossil fuels to meet rising electricity demands. Alberta plans to build a mega data center, and it would require millions of kilowatts to power it.
According to Nivyabandi, the head of Amnesty International: any large-scale construction proposals — AI-related or not — must respect Indigenous Nations’ right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) over development projects that affect their territories. The right to FPIC is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Industrial development that tramples Indigenous rights, hogs clean water, and makes the planet unliveable is not progress,” said Nivyabandi. “Real progress liberates people to live safer, healthier lives, respects their identities, and upholds their dignity as human beings — no matter who they are or where they live.” (Amnesty International)
Canadian government cutting funding for climate change and Indigenous affairs
As the climate is spiraling out of control, the Canadian government is implementing a 15% cut. The plan aims to downsize the public service by an estimated 40,000 workers over four years, while cutting thousands of executive positions to streamline government operation.
The Canadian government also plans to reduced budgets in specific departments: the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Fisheries and Oceans, Indigenous Services, climate changes program, Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Global Affairs Canada will face the deepest initial funding cuts.
While administrative and program budgets are being slashed, the budget of the Department of National Defense has increased dramatically. The Canadian government recently explained that national security was now the prority while the government was acquiring several submarines and other surveillance and warfare equipment.
However, today the safety and health of a large portion of Canadians are directly threatened by thousands of wildfires in the North of Canada. In several areas the air is practically unbreathable. Public health officials have issued several warnings advising at-risk individuals, especially children and older people, not to be exposed outdoors for extended periods due to smoke.
Perhaps all these wilfires will finally spur the Canadian government to respect international agreements and commitments regarding climate change in order to protect the canadian people and the planet.
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Source: Le journal le Devoir, Alors que le climat s’emballe, les projets d’oléoduc se multiplient, Amnesty International, CIFFC Canada
