Climate Lobbying Overview: TC Energy (formerly TransCanada) appears to have a negative stance toward policy action on climate change, though its positions have modestly improved since 2015. In its inaugural 2019 Sustainability and Climate change report, TC Energy stated support for national and industry commitments leading to global emissions reductions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: In its 2020 sustainability report, TC Energy state that it supports the Paris Agreement, but do not state support for any specific temperature goals.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: TC Energy appears to support several key strands of climate policies while noting some exceptions to each. In 2019, it emphasized the need for “sensible and cohesive" carbon pricing policies, though its specific stance on carbon tax and cap-and-trade legislation is unclear. Through its 2020 CDP disclosure, TC Energy stated support with exceptions for the Clean Fuel Standard, highlighting the need for 'Canadian competitiveness' to be considered in its design. TC Energy also highlighted 'discrepancies' between federal and state methane regulation and supports a standardized approach.

Positioning on Energy Transition: TC Energy appears to support an energy transition with an increasing role for natural gas over coal. It sees natural gas as a complement to renewable power well into the future. In 2018, a spokesperson said the company believes oil and gas will maintain a key role in the energy mix long term. In 2020, TC Energy submitted comments on proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act. Two of its three requests would omit GHG emissions from consideration as consequences of a project. The third cites Keystone XL delays as justification for limiting NEPA overreach. Similarly, in 2019, TC Energy opposed Canada’s Bill C-69, which would have made the development of oil and gas infrastructure more difficult by requiring impact assessments to consider the “cumulative effects” of existing or future activities. Evidence also suggests support for the criminalization of protest against fossil fuel infrastructure: TC Energy reportedly advised the South Dakota governor on legislation mirroring ALEC's Critical Infrastructure Act and actively supported a similar bill in Ohio. In a ruling against the Keystone XL pipeline, in June 2020 TC Energy requested that the US supreme court halt the implementation of the ruling, citing concern that it could be extended to a nationwide injunction on new pipelines. Evidence from the Canadian lobbyist register obtained in February 2021 seems to suggest that TC Energy is actively lobbying for government support for energy infrastructure development, including pipelines, gas storage and energy.

Industry Association Governance: TC Energy discloses a list of memberships it holds with industry associations as part of its 2020 'Lobbying, political contributions and corporate memberships' disclosure, however this list does not disclose if TC Energy is aligned or the policy stances held by each industry association. TC Energy remains a member of several trade associations with negative views on climate policy. Through its 2020 CDP disclosure, TC Energy describes its climate positions as consistent with those of the American Petroleum Institute, which has lobbied against a number of climate policy measures including the regulation of methane.