Conflict of Interest Disclosure

The American Economics Association has guidelines for the disclosure of potential conflicts of interests for economists. These conflicts can arise through financial support; paid and unpaid positions as officers, directors or board members of non-profit and for-profit organizations; and if other interested third parties have financial, ideological, or political stakes in one’s work.

This page is my best-efforts disclosure based on the last eight years of activity (2016-2023). More detail on my past professional affiliations, associations, and activities are listed on my CV.

Note: I am a publicly engaged scholar and have nothing to hide regarding my activities; however, given the breadth of these activities, I may have inadvertently omitted activities that some may feel should be individually disclosed.

*Thanks to  Andrew Leach (UofA), Kevin Milligan (UBC), Lindsay Tedds (UCalgary) and Trevor Tombe (UCalgary) for letting me borrow form and substance from their conflict disclosure statements. 

Employment

I am currently the Departmental Science Advisor, Environment and Climate Change Canada, a 60% secondment from my duties at the University of Calgary.

I am or have been employed by the University of Calgary in the following capacities:

• Associate Professor (with tenure), July 2020 to present

• Scientific Director, Energy and Environmental Policy, School of Public Policy, 2016-2022

• Assistant Professor, 2015-2020

• Associate Director, Energy and Environmental Policy, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, 2014-2015 (non-academic staff)

• Research Associate, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, 2012-2014 (non-academic staff)

The University of Calgary’s Conflict of Interest Policy is found here.

The Government of Canada Values and Ethics Code is found here. The Environment and Climate Change Canada Values and Ethics Code is found here, and its Policy on Scientific Integrity is available here.

Sources of Financial Support

This includes significant financial support — above $10,000 — as well as minor and ad hoc sources.

Academic financial support (not including expense (e.g. travel) reimbursement)

• University of Calgary: salary/stipends (2015-present)

• University of Calgary: $10,000 annual research allowance (2015-2026)

Other Current Compensation

• Canadian Climate Institute (ongoing): Professional services honoraria for participation in events, meetings, etc., 2019 - present

• Institute for Research on Public Policy (ongoing): Professional services, consulting on affordability and the energy transition, 2023-24 

Awarded Research Grants/Contracts (2016-2023 where I am PI; full list available on Awards page)

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Partnership Development Grant ($200,000). Principal Investigator for Canadian Climate Policy Partnership: 2023-2026.

• University of Calgary, Vice President Research Office ($30,000). Principal Investigator for Canadian Climate Policy Partnership: 2023-2026.

• University of Calgary, Mobilizing Alberta Climate Action Grant ($59,880). Principal Investigator for Empowering and including lower income households in the benefits of climate programming: 2023-2024.

• Clean Economy Fund ($60,000). Principal Investigator for Research on Inactive Wells in Canada: 2023.

• National Research Council ($48,813). Principal Investigator for Examining the Interplay between Building Codes and FPT Policies, Programs and Targets Related to GHG Emissions: 2022-2023.

• Mitacs Accelerate ($45,000). Principal Investigator for Developing a Database of Canadian Climate Policy and Programs: 2022-2023.

• Mitacs Business Strategy Internship ($15,000). Principal Investigator for A Techno-economic assessment of renewable natural gas (RNG) as a potential low carbon intensity fuel alternative eligible under Canada’s Clean Fuel Standard: 2022.

• Government of British Columbia ($25,000). Principal Investigator for Literature Review of Theories and Concepts related to Environmental Regulation: 2022.

• Smart Prosperity Institute ($10,000). Principal Investigator for Environmental Taxes and Energy Poverty in Canada: 2021-2022. 

• Calgary Foundation ($35,000). Principal Investigator for Multiple Account Benefit-Cost Analysis of Coal Mining in Alberta: 2021. 

• University of Calgary Global Research Initiative in Sustainable Low Carbon Unconventional Resources ($150,000), Principal Investigator for Environmental Impacts of Oil and Gas Development: 2020- 2023. 

• Alberta Innovates ($71,875). For production of report An Analysis of Policy Mechanisms to Support Commercial Deployment of Bitumen Partial Upgrading in Alberta: 2020-2021. 

• University of Calgary Global Research Initiative in Sustainable Low Carbon Unconventional Resources ($181,000), Principal Investigator for Methane Emissions Policy and Regulation in Canada: Assessing Options and Effectiveness: 2019-2023.

• SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant ($30,000), Principal Investigator for Public interest determination in environmental decision-making: 2019-2020. 

• Emissions Reduction Alberta ($15,500). For production of report A Review of Barriers to Full-Scale Deployment of Emissions-Reduction Technologies: 2019. Subsequently published.

• University of Calgary Faculty of Arts Scholarly Activity Grant ($1,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Resource and Environmental Economics Association (CREEA) PhD and ECR Workshop: 2019.

• Smart Prosperity Institute ($10,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Resource and Environmental Economics Association (CREEA) PhD and ECR Workshop: 2019.

• SSHRC Partnership Development Grant ($200,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Northern Corridor: 2018-2020.

• University of Calgary Vice President of Research Office ($10,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Northern Corridor: 2018-2020.

• School of Public Policy, University of Calgary: Strategic Research Initiative ($30,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Northern Corridor: 2018-2019.

• School of Public Policy, University of Calgary: Strategic Research Initiative ($5,000), Principal Investigator for End of Life for Oil and Gas Wells: 2018-2019.

• University of Calgary Faculty Seed Grant ($15,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Methane Policy and Regulation: 2018-2019.

• Smart Prosperity Institute ($48,000), Principal Investigator for Carbon Pricing Costs for Households and Revenue Recycling Options in Canada: 2018-2020 (project grant).

• Alberta Innovates ($74,000), for production of report on Regulation of Partial Upgrading in Alberta: 2018-2019. Subsequently published.

• Government of Canada ($10,000), for production of report Best practices in Regulation Development & Management: 2018

• Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment ($15,000), for production of report Meaningful Engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Marine Activities: 2018.

• School of Public Policy, University of Calgary: Strategic Research Initiative ($40,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Methane Policy and Regulation: 2017-2018.

• School of Public Policy, University of Calgary: Strategic Research Initiative ($45,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Northern Corridor: 2017-2018.

• School of Public Policy, University of Calgary: Strategic Research Initiative ($50,000), Principal Investigator for Canadian Emissions Policy: 2017-2018.

• Alberta Innovates ($50,000), for production of report Partial Upgrading Impact Study: 2016. Subsequently published.

• SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant ($25,000), Principal Investigator for Indigenous, Industry and Government Perspectives on Consultation in Resource Development: 2016-2017.

Minor (Past Five Years)

• Institute for Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto (2022), honoraria for contribution of "Cities, Emissions, and Mitigating Climate Change"

• Instituto Español de Estudios Estrategicos (2022), contribution of "Emissions Markets and International Trade" to Energy and Geostrategy 2022 and conference panel discussion

• Gas Alberta Inc., speaking honoraria (2022)

• CBC (2022; paid), appearance on West of Centre podcast

• CBC Opinion (2021; paid), series of op-eds on federal parties' climate policy in their election platforms

• Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University (2021, 2019)

• Parliamentary Internship Program, speaking honoraria (2021)

• Government of Alberta (2019): review of internal economic analysis of carbon pricing policies

• Instituto Español de Estudios Estrategicos (2019), contribution of "Canada’s Role in Global Energy Markets" to Energy and Geostrategy 2019 and conference panel discussion

• Occasional author fees for contributions to Alberta Views, CBC Opinion and other media outlets

• Travel expenses for conference and workshop presentations where I am an invited speaker

Relevant Paid or Unpaid Activity

Current Affiliations

• Departmental Science Advisor, Environment and Climate Change Canada, August 2023 - present (60% secondment from my duties at the University of Calgary)

• Mitigation Expert Panel Member, Canadian Climate Institute, 2019 - present (paid)

• Member, City of Calgary Climate Panel, 2018 - present (unpaid)

• Member, Environmental Assessment Advisory Group, Global Affairs Canada, 2017 - present (unpaid)

• Board Member (2014 - present) and Treasurer (2017 - present), World Petroleum Council Canada Future Leaders (unpaid)

• Treasurer, Canadian Resource and Environmental Economics Association, 2016 – present (unpaid)

Consulting

• Institute for Research on Public Policy: Professional services, consulting on affordability and the energy transition, 2023-24 (paid)

• Government of British Columbia: Professional services, consulting on the B.C royalty system, 2021 - 2022 (paid)

• Government of British Columbia: Professional services, consulting on emissions pricing and equity considerations, 2022 (paid)

• Canadian Climate Institute: Professional services, consulting on costs of the electricity transition, 2021 - 2022 (paid)

Past Affiliations

• Visiting Scholar, Environment and Climate Change Canada, August 2022 - August 2023 (sabbatical leave; unpaid)

• Director, Canadian Society for Evolving Energy (formerly Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources), 2020 – 2022 (unpaid)

• Advisor, Federal Initiatives on Indigenous Relations, Government of Alberta, 2018 (unpaid)

• Advisor to the Energy Diversification Advisory Committee, Government of Alberta, 2017 (salary offset)

• Member, Oil Sands and Crude Oil and Liquids working groups, Alberta Royalty Review, 2015-2016 (unpaid)

Other

• Occasional op-ed contributions to local and national newspapers (unpaid)

• Peer review (paid and unpaid; majority is unpaid) for many economic journals, granting councils, think tanks

Other Disclosures

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 a reasonable individual to constitute a conflict of interest with either my research or public commentary.

Asset disclosure

I hold only equity assets via indexed exchange traded funds (ETFs).  My spouse holds ETFs and has minor holdings of individual corporate equities within the Canadian financial and energy sectors. I have no say in the purchase or sale of shares held by my spouse.

Political Activity

I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of a municipal, provincial or federal party. I have made no political donations that I can recall. I have occasional policy conversations with candidates, elected officials and staff from major political parties,  as well as government officials at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. 

My spouse is not a member of any federal or provincial political party.

Social Media

I blog for the School of Public Policy and other organizations and I receive no income or other compensation for these blog posts. The time which I devote to this and to my social media accounts are personal, unpaid time.