Opposing the Trans Mountain Pipeline on Climate and Indigenous Rights Grounds

The CEO’s confident tone does little to address the fundamental problems with the Trans Mountain expansion. The project would lock in decades of increased oil production at a time when the world needs to rapidly reduce fossil fuel use to combat climate change. Canada has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, yet it is building a pipeline that will move an additional 590,000 barrels of oil per day. The risk of a spill in ecologically sensitive areas like the Fraser River or the Salish Sea remains a serious concern, as cleanup in those waters would be nearly impossible. Furthermore, many Indigenous groups argue that their free, prior, and informed consent has not been obtained, despite court rulings ordering deeper consultation. The federal government’s ownership does not justify forcing a project on communities that reject it. The ballooning costs, already exceeding $21 billion, call into question the economic viability of the project; taxpayers will bear the burden if the pipeline becomes a stranded asset. Instead, investment should be directed toward clean energy and upgrading refineries at home. Building this pipeline is a step backward, not forward.