In November 2021, the Canadian firm TC Energy launched a $15 billion attack under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) over the Biden administration’s refusal to grant it permits for the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Keystone XL pipeline was a project designed to increase the flow of dirty tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. to markets throughout the world. In February 2022, the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission announced it is also using NAFTA rules to sue the U.S. government for $1.3 billion over the pipeline rejection.
Fossil fuel companies’ ability to attack environmental policies through trade agreements is anti-democratic and jeopardizes the robust climate action needed for a liveable future.
These trade attacks have major economic implications for U.S. taxpayers, as well. Big Oil’s $16.3 billion in trade suits in the Keystone cases alone could cost each U.S. taxpayer $234.87.
To put in context, $16.3 billion is enough to buy:
- 288,817 electric vehicles: (Average cost of $56,437 each);
- 6,269 wind turbines (Average cost of $2.6 million each); or
- 1,018,750 sets of solar panels (Average cost of $16,000 each)
This Tax Season, please join us in calling on the Biden administration to take action to eliminate trade attacks on climate policy altogether.
You can do so by sharing this social media toolkit that has national and state-based social media language and graphics and sending a letter to President Biden.