AI Minister Met With Energy Companies on Environment, Not Environmental Groups
AI Minister Evan Solomon has held six meetings about environmental and sustainability concerns related to AI infrastructure, but none included representatives from environmental organizations, according to government documents tabled in Parliament on March 11.
The three meetings on environmental topics involved only companies: Teck, Enbridge, and Kanata Clean Power. One discussion addressed data centre water usage without naming participants. Another covered the Clean Electricity Regulations' implications for Alberta AI data centres.
NDP MP Leah Gazan requested the meeting records after the government's own 30-day AI consultation found that "environmental sustainability is a major concern for many, with calls for strategies to mitigate energy consumption and water usage in data centres."
Environmental Groups Seeking Access
Environmental Defence reached out to Solomon's office twice-once after his appointment and again during the consultation period-without receiving a response, said Alex Walker, the organization's climate finance program manager.
The Pembina Institute confirmed a meeting with Solomon's office on April 2, after the parliamentary records were released. The David Suzuki Foundation said it does not have staff dedicated to AI issues, and the Sierra Club is focused on public awareness campaigns rather than direct engagement with the minister.
Scale of Environmental Impact
Data centre power and water consumption represent significant environmental concerns at the scale the government and industry envision, said Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Alberta is pursuing natural gas generation to power data centres, which would increase greenhouse gas emissions. Infrastructure decisions made this year will lock in that energy source for decades, Mertins-Kirkwood said.
"Once we've built thousands of megawatts worth of data centres and hooked them up to new gas-fired generators, we've locked in that infrastructure," he said. "Neglecting to engage on environmental issues has some real costs from a climate perspective."
The government may be treating AI infrastructure projects like conventional industrial development, where regulatory approvals settle environmental questions, Mertins-Kirkwood suggested. That approach misses the scale of the challenge.
Government Response
Solomon's deputy director of communications, Sofia Ouslis, said the minister and his team "actively collaborates with Environment and Climate Change Canada, along with various stakeholders, to ensure that development across the country prioritizes long-term environmental protection." She did not name specific environmental organizations or representatives.
The ministry's approach emphasizes "sustainable progress" and safeguarding Canada's natural heritage, Ouslis said.
Labour Meetings Omitted From Official Record
Solomon met with 11 labour representatives in September, including representatives from the Canadian Labour Congress, CUPE, and PIPSC, to discuss AI's impact on jobs and workforce development. These meetings did not appear in the government's official response to Gazan's questions.
Capacity Gaps in Civil Society
Most environmental, climate, and civil society organizations lack AI expertise and have limited capacity to engage substantively on these issues, Mertins-Kirkwood said. Building that knowledge takes time.
"We just don't know enough about AI and tech issues to have a real mature and cohesive response to the moment," he said. "It's just not sophisticated, it's not organized in the same way and it's not independent of other institutions."
He and other AI experts argue the government needs more robust public consultations. A recent KPMG study found that while 50 percent of Canadians approve of or accept AI use, nearly 80 percent are concerned about possible negative outcomes and 75 percent believe AI regulation is necessary.
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