Financing the future while meeting the moment: Energy and investment dialogue report

A recent high-level round table on Parliament Hill, co-presented by ISF, the Transition Accelerator and MP Ryan Turnbull, brought together Canadian and international investors, policymakers, Indigenous leaders and academic experts for a candid conversation that sought to push past polarized debates around oil and gas development. 

The panel was intended to inform the work of the federal government to both meet the current moment of global turmoil and shifting markets, and finance the competitive Canadian energy economy of the future. Participants examined the conditions under which major fossil fuel infrastructure supporting increased energy exports may be considered strategically important, economically credible and investable. 

We asked: What risks do investors see in energy infrastructure investment? What opportunities should investors and policy makers be most focused on? How do investors with a commitment to sustainable investing and energy transition navigate this landscape? And what policy or market actions can support Canada’s pro-growth agenda and future-proof Canada’s economy?

The conversation reflected a clear and timely message: Canada’s energy investment future will depend not only on capital availability, but on the certainty, coordination, and partnerships required to deploy it effectively.

Key Takeaways:

• Policy certainty is key to investment: clear, time-bound approvals can reduce risk as powerfully as public subsidy.
• Electricity infrastructure is the backbone of competitiveness, affordability, resilience and energy security.
• Indigenous equity participation must be built into project design from the outset, not treated as a later-stage consultation requirement.
• Public capital should be reserved for clear public value, including grids, resilience, Indigenous finance and enabling infrastructure.
• Canada should focus on durable advantages, including critical minerals, grid infrastructure, interties and resource-processing value chains.

For more detail on the Round Table, download and read the full follow-up report.