John Woodside
Senior Ottawa Reporter | Ottawa |
English
About John Woodside
John Woodside was named one of Canada Clean50's emerging leaders in 2023 for his outstanding reporting on the climate and related issues. Focusing on finance, lobbying, energy policy and the climate emergency from Ottawa, Woodside brings a depth of experience to Canada's National Observer. Before joining Canada's National Observer, John reported on energy for allNewBrunswick and allNewfoundlandLabrador, and focused on Muskrat Falls, nuclear power, and the Irving group of companies.He has also worked with Cited Media and with the foreign policy news outlet OpenCanada. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Masters in Journalism.
Despite net-zero pledge, Canada Pension Plan pumps billions in new fossil fuels
So far this year the Canada Pension Plan has pumped over $3 billion into fossil fuels, despite pledging to reach net-zero emissions. The risks to the economy and planet are growing, and advocates say the pension fund must transition out of coal, oil and gas before it's too late.
Canadian oil and gas lobbyists flock to UN climate negotiations
An analysis of the delegate list conducted by Canada's National Observer shows Big Oil lobbyists from Canada are out in full force to influence the annual UN climate change summit in their favour. After years of derailing negotiations, climate advocates say it's time to bar fossil fuel companies from the meetings for good.
Staggeringly high fossil fuel export emissions deserve urgent response, advocates say
Newly surfaced federal data on Canada's exported emissions reveals a concerning trend. Despite emission reduction efforts at home, Canada's exported emissions from coal, oil and gas are dramatically climbing — and wiping out domestic progress.
At COP29, countries wrestle with financing the green transition
International climate change negotiations are kicking off this week in Azerbaijan, with trillions of dollars that will decide the fate of the planet’s warming trajectory set to be negotiated against a global backdrop of worsening extreme weather.
Will the pollution cap’s loopholes be fixed before an election?
Ottawa announced its historic carbon emissions cap this week, but climate advocates want to see greater detail about how exactly the regulations will work — as they worry about what a change in government would mean for the new system.
‘Extremely dangerous for the world’ Trump election spells disaster for climate efforts
Trump may be a climate-denying fossil fuel booster, but the climate science isn’t changing. The crisis is real, it is here, and much work remains to cut global emissions in half by decade’s end — as scientists say is urgently required.
Biodiversity negotiations failed to find the cash, as Canada's influence drops at global summit
Nature is being pushed to the brink as logging, mining and the relentless burning of fossil fuels destroy ecosystems — but even while acknowledging the problem, countries negotiating at COP16 still failed to agree on how to pay for conservation efforts.
Liberals defend oil and gas pollution cap as critics threaten legal action
Capping oil and gas pollution is crucial to cut greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring the industry’s competitiveness through the energy transition, federal ministers said Monday. But Ottawa’s fiercest critics were quick to slam the proposal, setting up fresh rounds of conflict for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s beleaguered government.
Alberta regulator denies request to subject Pathways Alliance to full environmental assessment
The Alberta Energy Regulator is denying a request from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and group of environmental organizations for an environmental assessment of the Pathways Alliance’s proposed carbon capture project.
Reelected BC NDP faces declining case for LNG
Because B.C. LNG production is expected to ramp up at precisely the same time global production plateaus, the province “will not have a first mover advantage, and its output will be competing in a highly competitive global market,” a new report finds.