Overview
- Co-founders Simon Donner and Catherine Abreu resigned this week, saying Ottawa sidelined the panel’s expertise as it shifted toward new oil and gas projects.
- The advisory body now has four members, no chair, and several unfilled seats after a broader membership collapse since March.
- Remaining members say further departures are possible without new appointments, greater independence, and added funding to support research.
- Abreu says the government did not consult the panel on the Alberta pipeline memorandum of understanding or Bill C-5, which enables exemptions for some major projects.
- Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin’s office says she will meet the group before year-end, as the government faces a legal deadline to table an updated emissions reduction plan and Canada remains off track for its 2030 target.