Conflict of Interest Disclosure

On January 5th, 2012, the American Economics Association adopted new guidelines for the disclosure of potential conflicts of interests by economists.  I am very supportive of this initiative. Please find my disclosure information below.

Employment:

I have been employed by University of Alberta in following capacities:

• Professor (with tenure), 2022-present
• Associate Professor (with tenure), 2011-2021
• Enbridge Professor of Energy Policy, 2013-2015
• Assistant Professor, 2006-2011

The University of Alberta’s Conflict of Interest Policy may be found here. With respect to the Enbridge Professorship which I held until March 2015, the University of Alberta’s guidelines for donations are here and response to concerns you might have may found here. The University of Alberta is covered under the Alberta government’s Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act (2015), and all disclosure information is here.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, was seconded to Environment Canada as visiting scholar. This secondment ended June 26, 2013.

During the 2015-2016 academic year, I chaired the Government of Alberta’s Climate Change Leadership Panel, for which I was compensated by the government for 30 days of work with the balance of the time commitment (at least 34 additional days) being covered by release from the Dean of the Alberta School of Business.

For the 2019-2020 year, on sabbatical leave, I attended the University of Alberta Faculty of Law and completed an LLM. I received financial support from the Faculty of Law as well as tuition remission benefits from the University of Alberta and a scholarship jointly administered by the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

Financial support:

For academic year 2023-24, I received research support from:

• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant

For academic year 2022-23, I received research support from:

• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant

For academic year 2021-22, I received research support from:

• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant
• Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment, University of Alberta

For academic year 2020-21, I received research support from:

• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant
• Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment, University of Alberta

For academic year 2019-20, I received research support from:

• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant
• Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment, University of Alberta

For academic year 2018-19, I received research support from:

• United Nations Association in Canada
• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant
• Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment, University of Alberta

For academic year 2017-18, I received research support from:

• CFREF Future Energy Systems grant
• Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment, University of Alberta
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

The Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and Environment for which I served as academic director from 2014-2021 received support worth over $5000 from:

• Altalink
• Enbridge
• Suncor
• Capital Power
• EY
• ATCO
• EPCOR
• Natural Resources Canada
• Cougar Tool
• Government of Alberta

Most funds provided to CABREE during my tenure did not directly fund any particular research project, and all funding is handled as per the University of Alberta guidelines which prioritize academic freedom.

For calendar years 2010-2017, I received financial support for research activities totalling over $5000 from:

• Enbridge Professorship, Alberta School of Business
• The Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) – Insight Development Grant (2 grants), Standard Research Grant and funding for Sustainable Prosperity Research Network and the Alberta Climate Change Dialogue CURA.
• The Alberta Carbon Capture and Storage Development Council, Alberta Department of Energy, for research into economic models CCS support, provided the CABREE. Funds retained within my CABREE research account to support future projects.
• The VanHorne Center of Regulatory Affair. Academic director honorarium and support for hosting conference on pipeline regulation in Spring of 2012.
• Alberta School of Business, School of Retailing, Walmart Research Grant. Funding used teaching release and research assistance.

Consulting activity:

The University of Alberta encourages faculty members to remain current in their areas of teaching and research including through supplementary professional activities (SPA). So long as it does not conflict with our primary responsibilities, does not unduly compete with private sector entities, and is clearly disclosed to our academic units, consulting activities falls within the recognized SPA for a faculty member. I have been an economic policy and management consultant over most of my career. Activities are listed below by year:

In 2024 (to date) I have completed contracts for consulting work (paid and pro-bono) as follows:

• Davis, Wright, Tremaine / Greenpeace
• Meredith Boessenkool Policy Advisors

In 2023, I completed contracts for consulting work (paid and pro-bono) as follows:

• Davis, Wright, Tremaine / Greenpeace
• Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
• Canadian Climate Institute

My book, Between Doom and Denial, received financial support from the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.

In 2022, I completed contracts for consulting work (paid and pro-bono) as follows:

• Athabasca Region First Nations
• Davis, Wright, Tremaine / Greenpeace

In 2021, I completed contracts for consulting work (paid and pro-bono) as follows:

• James Coady, Q.C. / Fort McKay First Nation
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• McGill Max Bell School of Public Policy
• Canadian Institute for Climate Choices

From 2013-2020 , I did consulting work (paid and pro-bono) for:

• Jack Woodward, Q.C. / Fort McKay First Nation
• Canadian Center for Climate Solutions
• EY
• KTG Public Affairs
• Enbridge
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (multiple engagements)
• Government of Manitoba
• Industry Canada
• Government of Alberta (multiple engagements including Climate Leadership Panel (see above))
• Canada’s EcoFiscal Commission
• AlphaSights

During 2012 and 2013, no consulting as result of my visiting position with their Environment Canada, but was compensated by Environment Canada via Executive Interchange Agreement with the University of Alberta during my secondment to them.

During calendar years 2009-2012, I performed paid consulting work for the following organizations:

• The National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, Government of Canada.
• Environment Canada, Government of Canada.
• Alberta Environment, Government of Alberta.
• Enviro-economics.

Relevant paid or unpaid activity (previous 8 years)

• Board member, REACH Edmonton, 2020-
• Board member, River Valley Alliance, 2017-2020
• Contributor, CBC (paid, irregular), 2019-
• Peer review (paid), Climate Choices (2019)
• Contributor, Ottawa Citizen, Post Media, Globe and Mail (some paid, some not, irregular), 2013-
• Contributor, Macleans and Canadian Business (paid), 2013-
• Academic Director, NREE Programs, University of Alberta, 2012-
• Researcher, CABREE, University of Alberta (provided with research funds of less than $5000/year), 2006-2011
• Fellow, CIRANO, Montreal (unpaid), 2005-
• Research Network Member (unpaid), Sustainable Prosperity, 2009-
• Academic Director, Van Horne Center for Regulatory Affairs, University of Calgary, 2011-2012
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management (unpaid), 2011-
• Editorial Board Member, Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics (unpaid), 2010-
• Alberta Oil Magazine column (paid), 2011
• Macleans.ca, occasional contributions (paid), 2011-2012
• Globe and Mail Economy Lab, regular contributions (unpaid), 2011-2012
• Fraser Institute, (paid) honorarium received for peer review, 2011.
• Peer review (unpaid) for many economic journals, listed on my academic CV, as well as for Sustainable Prosperity, the Pembina Institute and the C.D. Howe Institute.
• Unpaid speaking engagements: I have, from time-to-time requested and generally received admission for some of my students at events in Edmonton where I am speaking.
• Paid speaking engagements (<$2500 in all cases): Burgundy Asset Management, GMP First Energy, Prairie Merchant, Alberta Institute of Agrologists, Carbon Management Canada, Simon Fraser Center for Dialogue, Sustainable Prosperity (incl. paper), University of Ottawa (incl. paper).
• Other benefits received: admission to Alberta Enterprise Group events (Ezra Levant (incl. a table for students) and PC Leadership breakfast), Chamber of Commerce luncheon ticket (Enbridge), Lucas Seward print (Syncrude), Oilers tickets (Cenovus, ATB Financial, Ferus), State of the City address ticket (Edmonton Chamber of Commerce), PC Leader’s Dinner (KatchKan), Stampede 2016 tickets (Encana), State of the City Lunch (Capital Power).

In-kind and financial contributions to teaching activities and student clubs

I receive wonderful support from government, industry, and NGOs for my teaching activity. I have had, over my time at University of Alberta, representatives the Alberta Ministries of Environment, Energy, and Finance and Enterprise, many major oil, gas, energy services, pipeline and electricity companies, Epcor, the Pembina Institute, and many others speak in my classes.  I have never offered compensation beyond accommodation and travel expenses for speakers, either directly or in-kind, with the exception of a small token of appreciation from the class. While I have not been invited to do so often, I would feel obliged to return the favour of speaking at the request of someone who has taken time to speak in my class.

Student clubs with which associated have received significant support from both government and industry. In particular, the annual Alberta Energy Challenge business competition would not have been possible, without these generous support of Suncor and Cenovus who provided financial and in-kind resources for competition from 2010 through 2018.

Family conflicts of interest

To the best of my knowledge, no members of my immediate family have personal or financial relationships which would be viewed by reasonable individual to constitute conflict of interest with either my research or public commentary. My sister-in-law, Susan Holt, is the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in New Brunswick, which I will disclose when relevant.

Asset disclosure

I currently hold shares in Shopify, Enbridge, RBC, and CIBC as well as others held in Canadian index ETFs and mutual funds. My spouse holds a diversified portfolio. We hold no stocks in companies that would be materially affected by my research or public commentary.

Political Activity

I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of a provincial or federal party. I have, occasionally, provided free advice to elected officials and staff from all major parties both in Alberta and across the country. I have made no political donations that I can recall (I’ll hedge in case I attended an event which served as a political fundraiser at some point during my university career), and certainly none in the past 10 years. My spouse is not a member of any federal or provincial political party, although she has donated to her sister’s campaigns in New Brunswick. I was appointed by Ministerial Reference to Chair the Climate Change Leadership Panel in Alberta by Minister Shannon Phillips, but I was a bureaucratic employee not political staff.

Blog

This blog is hosted on fee-for-service basis and was designed by Mesh Canada founder Eric Warnke, a University of Alberta BCom Alum. The banner image was designed and provided to me free-of-charge by current University of Alberta BCom student Adam McKertcher. I receive no income or other compensation for blog. No editorial control over this blog is held by anyone but me.