Towards Common Ground: Perspectives on Energy Transitions in Canadian Oil and Gas Producing Municipalities

Abstract Oil and gas producing municipalities host Canada's highest‐emitting industries while facing economic and social risks as the country pursues carbon neutrality. Understanding how these communities envision their economic futures, and the barriers and enablers they encounter in pursuing low‐carbon opportunities, can inform decision‐makers seeking both emissions reductions and more resilient local economies. This study engages ten municipal economic development staff in British Columbia and Alberta to capture their perspectives on transition pathways. Findings demonstrate that staff are exploring diversification but face substantial barriers, including limited staff, technical, and fiscal capacity and the absence of a coherent transition vision. Addressing these challenges requires governance transformation. We argue that transition strategies must move beyond top‐down, universal mandates and embrace more locally grounded approaches. Community‐supported, place‐relevant visions for low‐carbon transitions, co‐created with municipal actors, must be supported by integrated policy packages built on whole‐systems modalities rather than narrow green jobs or sectoral focuses.