Making fossil fuel futures: The discursive formation of Canada's net-zero imaginary

Abstract

Canada, one of the world's largest oil producers, plans to achieve net-zero emissions in the oil sector by 2050 by relying on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). The Government of Canada and the fossil fuel industry frame net-zero as a solution to address climate change, advance the energy transition, and achieve reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Yet, this framing is contested by Indigenous and environmental groups that draw attention to the risks, impacts, and inequalities of net-zero. Although research has examined Canada's contradictory climate policy, little attention has been paid to the production and contestation of the net-zero future vision. Connecting research on socio-technical imaginaries and the geographical political economy of energy transitions, this paper explores the discursive configuration of the net-zero imaginary and its spatial dimensions in a settler-colonial context characterized by intensive fossil fuel extraction. Based on Hajer's argumentative discourse approach, this work elucidates the role of key storylines in shaping the net-zero imaginary:. A critical analysis of these storylines reveals the contradictions and limitations of net-zero. In particular, it shows that net-zero 1) reinforces fossil fuel expansion by relying on unproven CCUS and voluntary net-zero targets, and 2) consolidates colonial land claims by portraying Indigenous peoples' lands as being available for net-zero projects. These findings extend discussions about the making of net-zero futures, highlighting the need to place justice issues at the heart of the energy transition.