Spatializing oil and gas subsidies in endangered caribou habitat: Identifying political‐economic drivers of defaunation

Abstract Reforming environmentally harmful subsidies is an international priority under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Research that links industrial to negative ecological impacts, however, limited. This paper contributes emerging agenda of global “subsidy accountability” research by linking oil and gas decline endangered caribou herds in British Columbia, Canada. While existing concretely attributes activity, including development, we suggest there a need identify political‐economic structures which drive ongoing development habitat, public subsidies. We use government data map wells critical habitat determine how many are run operators receiving provincial fossil fuel “royalty credits”. Ultimately, find 1678, or 54%, located within companies have received benefits from one both BC's largest royalty credit programs. points for further analysis as indirect drivers biodiversity loss scale, well increased emphasis conservation research. It also highlights obstacles implementing appropriate solutions contexts dominated resource extraction.