Canada considers lifting Arctic oil and gas drilling moratorium

Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that the Canadian government has not yet decided whether to lift the ten-year moratorium on oil and gas exploration on the Arctic seabed. While Carney clarified to reporters in Montreal that current budget allocations do not constitute a decision to end the ban, some northern Canadian leaders are calling for the moratorium to be lifted to bolster regional economic independence.

The federal budget includes 11 million Canadian dollars over four years to support management and oversight of Arctic Ocean resource activities. These funds are intended to strengthen Inuit leadership capacities, following a previous agreement for joint management of northern natural resources.

The moratorium, originally established in 2016 under the administration of Justin Trudeau and former US President Barack Obama, was designed to protect the sensitive marine ecosystem from oil spill risks. The potential shift in policy comes as the government seeks to strengthen the energy sector and stimulate an economy facing pressure from US tariffs, drawing criticism from environmental activists regarding climate regulations.