Securing Canada’s future: The urgent need for a national natural gas and LNG strategy​on February 21, 2025 at 1:00 pm

Our country stands at a pivotal crossroads — one path leads to economic prosperity and energy security, while the other risks uncertainty and instability. The choices we make today will define our future.

For the past three years, I have had the privilege of working internationally, overseeing the development of energy projects in more than 20 countries across four continents. I have seen first-hand how they transform economies, lift communities and reshape entire regions.

One thing is clear: the countries that measure and prioritize energy growth drive real progress.

Meanwhile, Canada lacks a coherent energy strategy, leaving us exposed to unacceptable risk. In Canada, energy production and exports are a direct measure of our economic strength and the backbone of our national security and social prosperity. To realize our potential and to attract investment, we need to be bold.

The proposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods and energy exports has provided Canada a wake-up call. It’s the alarm clock forcing us to sit up and take control of our own destiny.

Canada has world-class natural gas resources, yet we remain beholden to a market that fails to deliver full value for Canadians, while other countries move to fill global demand. According to the Canada Energy Regulator’s Natural Gas Trade Summary, in 2024, more than 99.9 per cent of Canada’s natural gas exports went to the U.S.

The destabilization of global energy systems, made clear by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has shown the risks of overreliance on a single trading partner, no matter how historically dependable. The threat of tariffs has brought our vulnerability into clear view. To secure Canada’s energy future, we must act decisively to diversify our markets and maximize the value of our resources.

The federal government must commit to a national natural gas and LNG strategy that sets clear export ambitions and firm timelines for permitting and building infrastructure — from upstream, to pipelines and facilities — needed to compete globally. Expanding access to new trading partners through LNG requires improved energy transportation infrastructure and policies that encourage investment and accelerate approvals.

Successful energy strategies, like Australia’s, demonstrate the benefits of a defined national approach. Australia has emphasized the role of gas as a tool for decarbonization, infrastructure expansion, policy certainty and global market integration, while assisting international partners in their energy transitions.

A comprehensive natural gas strategy that focuses on construction of natural gas and LNG infrastructure is the only way to address persistent discounts relative to global gas prices, which has persisted for decades. Each year, Canada forgoes an estimated $6 billion in government revenue due to its inability to reach markets.