Unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin Territories [OTTAWA], 3 September 2025:
Climate Action Network Canada is deeply concerned about the nomination of former Trans Mountain Corporation CEO, Dawn Farrell to spearhead the newly launched Major Projects Office (MPO).
Officialized last Friday, the MPO will help identify and fast track nation-building projects under Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, as well as streamline approvals for “all major projects across government.”
While a list of these projects designated as “of national interest” has yet to be announced, this nomination poses questions as to the new MPO’s neutrality towards the oil and gas industry in the future of Canada’s energy economy. As the world races to deploy solar and wind-based electricity and industries, we need national projects that support a transition to renewables, benefit communities across the country, and reduce our dependency on the United States of America.
Quotes:Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada:
“Appointing the former CEO of the national boondoggle that was TMX to Canada’s new Major Projects Office is like appointing the former CEO of Blockbuster to head Netflix. Right now, Canada should focus on supporting projects with the highest likelihood of success — the ones that deliver affordability and make our country resilient in the long run. Renewable energy, storage, and electricity transmission projects are no-brainers. They benefit communities, create jobs, help deliver affordable energy for everyone – and cannot be controlled by erratic heads of state. We are looking to Prime Minister Carney and the Major Projects Office to seize this opportunity to build our future – not further entrench us in the technologies of the past.”
Anna Johnston, Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law:
“Appointing a former pipeline CEO to lead the Major Projects Office sends a clear signal about whose interests will be prioritized. After another summer of disastrous wildfires, it is more clear than ever that Canada needs a fast track away from carbon polluting projects. Only projects that strengthen communities and move Canada closer to meeting its climate obligations deserve the fast track.”
Amara Possian, Canada Team Lead, 350.org:
“Mark Carney is playing a shell game with all of us. He says the new Major Projects Office will fast-track clean energy, but he has put the chair of his predecessor’s multibillion-dollar pipeline boondoggle in charge. He promises projects that will help Canada meet its climate commitments, yet the process he’s designed scraps environmental assessments and sidesteps Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. If he truly wants this office to deliver for people, he needs to stop placating fossil fuel CEOs and start prioritizing what we actually need: affordable homes, clean water, clean air, and good jobs.”
Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist, Greenpeace Canada:
“We should be fast-tracking climate solutions, not fossil fuels. Appointing an oil executive and putting the office in a province that is throwing up regulatory barriers to renewable energy sends a message that oil and gas profits are being prioritized over fighting the climate crisis that is threatening Canadians’ lives and livelihoods.”
Sabaa Khan, Climate Director and Director-General (Québec & Atlantic Canada), David Suzuki Foundation:
“While the scientific consensus on climate change has long been clear, the legal landscape is now catching up. The International Court of Justice recently affirmed states have a legal obligation to prevent activities that worsen climate change. This duty is not abstract, it applies directly to decisions on infrastructure, energy policy, and public investment. In this new era of climate accountability, Canada’s aspirations to become an energy superpower and diversify its trade relationships must align with international legal obligations. The federal government – and the newly established Major Projects Office – must carefully assess the legal and economic risks of what it builds in the national interest. Locking in fossil fuel dependence and carbon-intensive products doesn’t just undermine climate commitments; it will increasingly limit Canada’s competitiveness in a global market that is rapidly pivoting toward low-carbon goods and supply chains.”
Glenn Wright, Organizer, Climate Justice Saskatoon:
“It is of national interest to mitigate and adapt to dangerous climate change. We hope that the Carney government will recognize that Canada needs electricity transmission and energy storage projects that will unlock the vast potential of our renewable resources. Major projects in the national interest must 1) Reduce our impacts on the environment, and 2) Replace fossil energy with clean energy. Business as usual is killing us, we need to reconcile our relationship with each other and nature if we are to thrive.”
Dr. Melissa Lem, Family Physician and President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment:
“Putting a former fossil fuel executive in charge of ‘nation-building’ projects shows how incoherent Canada’s approach has become. Fossil fuel extraction drives climate change while harming health, especially for Indigenous and rural communities already carrying the heaviest burdens. That includes expansion of the LNG and fracking industry, despite clear evidence of links to respiratory illness, cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and other serious conditions in addition to on-the-ground reports by community members of these same conditions. Fast-tracking more fossil projects isn’t building Canada: it’s building more harm. What people in Canada need instead are investments that protect health, indigenous sovereignty, and the climate.”
Sven Biggs, Canadian Oil and Gas Campaign Director, Stand.earth:
“The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion cost Canadian taxpayers over $34 billion and is still not operating at full capacity. By putting Dawn Farrell — the former President, CEO, and Board Chair of Trans Mountain Corporation — in charge of the Major Projects Office, Prime Minister Carney risks turning projects of national interest into another massive giveaway to the oil and gas lobby. This would not only be an enormous waste of tax dollars that backtracks on Canada’s climate commitments, it would also squander the opportunity to invest in projects like renewable electricity generation, which will create good paying jobs while moving us to a more sustainable economy.”
Shanaaz Gokool, Executive Director, Leadnow:
“People across Canada are struggling to afford rent and put food on the table, all while facing toxic wildfire smoke and record-breaking heat caused by the climate crisis. Prime Minister Carney promised to rebuild Canada’s economy for the better. But by appointing a former fossil fuel executive to head up the National Projects office, he’s sending a clear message: that fossil fuel interests matter more than those of ordinary people. Public money should serve the public good. If we’re serious about building a resilient economy that works for everyone, we must invest in affordable housing, climate action, and strong public services — not prop up the industries driving the crisis.”
Zoe Grams, Executive Director, Climate Caucus:
“Local elected leaders across the country continue to underscore that nation-building really means investing in projects that support Canada in the short and long term. They’re echoing what the vast majority of Canadians think: that climate change is dangerous and needs greater government attention. Nation-building means prioritising projects that support affordable and safe housing, renewable energy, and the ability for us to both develop resilience against—and rebuild after—the climate disasters that hundreds of our municipalities increasingly face. The government has an exceptional opportunity to build the future we need. Fossil fuel expansion isn’t part of that.”
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Canada’s farthest-reaching network of organizations working on climate and energy issues, Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat (CAN-Rac) Canada is a coalition of 150 organizations operating from coast to coast to coast. Our membership brings environmental groups together with trade unions, First Nations, social justice, development, health and youth organizations, faith groups and local, grassroots initiatives.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Alicia Parker, Communications Coordinator
aliciaparker@climateactionnetwork.ca