On July 14, 2025, Alberta’s provincial government quietly rescinded its longstanding moratorium on coal exploration in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains—a policy area covering roughly 190,000 ha of environmentally sensitive land. The decision reopens Category 2 lands—areas previously protected due to watershed importance and ecological sensitivity—to potential coal projects, including exploration and development. This sudden policy reversal was made without prior consultation with affected stakeholders, triggering widespread concern among Indigenous communities, ranchers, environmental groups, and downstream users.
In response, the Siksika Nation and Kainai Nation filed legal challenges in early July, arguing that the move violated Alberta’s legal obligation to consult Indigenous rights-holders. They contend the policy change ignores both their longstanding treaty rights and a major public engagement process held in 2021 and 2022, which recommended continued protection and formal land-use planning. The nations assert that lifting the moratorium without respecting these commitments undermines both environmental safeguards and procedural fairness, and they seek judicial review to overturn the decision.
This episode highlights the essential role of social license to operate in resource policy—not just for individual projects, but at the level of regulatory frameworks. When governments bypass consultation and community expectations, legitimacy crumbles, trust erodes, and legal or political backlash becomes almost inevitable. Alberta’s abrupt move serves as a warning: even well‑meaning economic or fiscal reforms can backfire if they neglect transparent engagement, Indigenous rights, and ecological responsibility. Absent these, new coal initiatives risk paralysis—and broader skepticism toward the province’s environmental governance.