Case Study I: Governance of Contested Energy Spaces

In the contested space of energy production in Canada, tension and a series of disputes over land and rights have been prevalent between the state, industry and local Indigenous communities. Canadian governments have long exploited the natural resources of the land, while at the same time attempting to reconcile a difficult relationship with Indigenous communities living in proximity to the resources. This case study reveals how the government has conceded responsibility to industry to resolve the many governance challenges of Canada’s energy spaces. Through substantial delegation of governance duties to industry, the Canadian Government has placed large parts of its regulatory toolbox in the hands of multinational companies, and hence turned social and environmental planning and programming into corporate stakeholder management.