Arctic Oil and Gas Development

WWF-Canada is working to ensure that the rules governing offshore oil and gas development are consistent with international best practices for safety, accountability and environmental protection in order to safeguard the sensitive Arctic environment and the livelihoods of local communities.

WWF-Canada has carried out extensive oil spill trajectory modelling in the western and eastern Canadian Arctic, research that can help inform local risk perception, prepare for oil spill response planning, and inform integrated ocean management and planning.

WWF-Canada’s advocacy efforts resulted in the National Energy Board (NEB) requiring all potential offshore oil and gas developments to demonstrate the ability to control a blowout before the winter freeze-up. WWF-Canada continues to advocate that any future offshore oil and gas activity in the Canadian Arctic, should it occur, must avoid areas of heightened ecological significance, be safe for the sensitive Arctic environment, directly benefit local communities, and be consistent with national climate targets.