Once a month, we partner up with LobbyIQ to update our readers on recent movements in the federal lobbying landscape in Ottawa. We provide separate coverage for each channel, defined by the most relevant industries, organizations, institutions, and subject matters.

Key Takeaways — Oil & Gas

• Lobbying activity totalled 184 meetings in June 2026, up from a 12-month average of 172.
• The biggest moves were in Petroleum refining and Oil, gas and mining support services.
• Pathways Alliance Inc., Cenovus Energy Inc. were more active than usual.

Section A: The Themes Hidden in June 2026 Data

Landmark Alberta–Ottawa Energy Agreement Spurs Lobbying Surge

A watershed agreement between the federal government, Alberta, and industry on new pipeline infrastructure and carbon capture coincides with heightened oil and gas lobbying from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, and Canadian Natural Resources Limited to Natural Resources Canada and the Privy Council in June 2026. The deal’s focus on export diversification, market access, and joint sustainability action mirrors lobbying priorities recorded this month with these organisations.

📎 CAPP | Canada's Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Industry

Trilateral MOU Aligns Incentives and Regulation for Growth

A trilateral memorandum of understanding among Ottawa, Alberta, and oil sands producers—focused on fiscal and regulatory support—was announced in July and closely tracked peak lobbying activity in June, including meetings between Shell Canada Limited, ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp., and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Industry efforts to push for efficient project approvals, regulatory certainty, and decarbonization frameworks are reflected in the MOU’s provisions, reinforcing the wave of meetings with federal policymakers such as Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) by Imperial Oil Limited and House of Commons by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

📎 CAPP | Canada's Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Industry

Federal Rollbacks Fuel Industry Advocacy on Regulatory Reform

Major rollbacks of environmental regulations during 2025–26 coincided with industry lobbying by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Suncor Energy Inc. for risk-based, efficient permitting and expanded incentives for decarbonization technologies such as CCUS, often engaging with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Prime Minister's Office. This regulatory environment provided both new opportunities and high-stakes decisions, likely fueling a spike in oil and gas sector lobbying for project approvals and faster regulatory pathways this June.

📎 Prime Minister Carney’s Environmental Rollbacks

Pathways Carbon Capture Push Reflects Decarbonization Focus

The Pathways Alliance’s major lobbying uptick, as echoed by direct engagements from Shell Canada Limited and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers with Natural Resources Canada and the House of Commons, was synchronous with advances on the Pathways CCS project, highlighting the industry’s efforts to shape fiscal incentives and regulatory conditions for clean technology. The alignment of meetings with federal offices such as Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada and project milestones underscores the importance of joint government-industry climate strategies in policy engagement.

📎 Oil and Gas - The Globe and Mail

Energy Security and Export Diversification Animate Policy Dialogue

Canada’s Energy Future 2026 report’s emphasis on security, supply chains, and trade diversification provided a real-time backdrop for lobbying efforts by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Ovintiv Canada ULC, and Cenovus Energy Inc. stressing market access and the need to align policy responses with global demand in discussions with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Privy Council Office (PCO). This confluence of themes illuminates how government and industry coordinated to shape energy export strategy during June’s lobbying surge.

📎 CER – Canada's Energy Future 2026: Analysis: Canada’s Energy Security ...

Section B: Lobbying Activity by Industry

This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.

Lobbying activity across this channel totalled 184 meetings in June 2026, up from a 12-month average of 172. The most active industry was Oil and gas extraction, while Pipelines and lng rose above its recent baseline.

Petroleum refining logged 14 meetings, up from an average of 7.

On the quieter side, Oil, gas and mining support services had 8 meetings, down from an average of 13, and Petroleum products distribution and retail had no lobbying meetings this month, down from an average of 3.

Section C: Lobbying by Industry for the Past Year

To contextualize, we show each industry's lobbying activity over the past 12 months. The combined view from Section B and C shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.

Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-06

Oil and gas extraction saw lobbying run notably above expected levels in June 2026.

↳ Oil and gas extraction has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Pipelines and lng has been trending downward in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Pipelines and lng displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Petroleum refining has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Petroleum refining displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Oil, gas and mining support services displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

Section D: Lobbying Activity by Organization

In this section, we see the organizations with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity.

The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Pathways Alliance Inc., Cenovus Energy Inc., Apitpi Resources LP, and The International CCS Knowledge Centre.

On the quieter side, Shell Canada Limited pulled back from its usual pace.

Section E: Lobbying of Government Institutions in the Past Month

Every time an organization lobbies, there is a government official representing a government institution at the other side of the table. This section shows the industry-institutions pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity. Below that, we show the corresponding organization-institution pairs.

Industries → Government Institutions

Organizations → Government Institutions

The busiest industry → institution corridors this month:

↳ Oil and gas extraction → Natural Resources Canada (NRCan): 67 meetings (avg 36, +86%).

↳ Oil and gas extraction → Privy Council Office (PCO): 60 meetings (avg 17, +258%).

The busiest organization → institution corridors this month:

↳ Pathways Alliance Inc. → Privy Council Office (PCO): 30 meetings (avg 6, +400%).

↳ Pathways Alliance Inc. → Natural Resources Canada (NRCan): 27 meetings (avg 3, +710%).

↳ Cenovus Energy Inc. → Privy Council Office (PCO): 21 meetings (avg 3, +530%).

Section F: Industry and Organization Lobbying by Subject in the Past Month

All lobbying activity is tagged with a "subject matter". This section shows the industry-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity, and below it the organization-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month.

Industries → Subjects

Organizations → Subjects

The busiest industry → subject corridors this month:

↳ Oil and gas extraction → Energy: 121 meetings (avg 95, +28%).

↳ Oil and gas extraction → Environment: 86 meetings (avg 70, +23%).

↳ Oil and gas extraction → Industry: 45 meetings (avg 24, +91%).

The busiest organization → subject corridors this month:

↳ Pathways Alliance Inc. → Environment: 35 meetings (avg 8, +333%).

↳ Pathways Alliance Inc. → Energy: 33 meetings (avg 8, +292%).

↳ Pathways Alliance Inc. → Industry: 30 meetings (avg 6, +368%).

Section G: Last Month's Most Lobbied Politicians and Civil Servants

This section presents a list of the politicians and civil servants who took the most meetings with key industry players last month.

Most Lobbied Individuals by Sector

Most Lobbied Individuals by Organization

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by sector) this month were Oil and gas extraction → Kelsen Vallee (Privy Council Office (PCO)), Oil and gas extraction → Jeff Labonté (Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)) and Oil and gas extraction → Kelsen Vallee (Privy Council Office (PCO)).

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by organization) this month were Pathways Alliance Inc. → Kelsen Vallee (Privy Council Office (PCO)), Pathways Alliance Inc. → Jeff Labonté (Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)) and Cenovus Energy Inc. → Kelsen Vallee (Privy Council Office (PCO)).