The Northern Gateway Pipeline: Seeking Consensus Is a Slippery Business

In December 2013, the Joint Review Panel (JRP) for the Northern Gateway Pipeline (NGP) was tasked with preparing a recommendation to the National Energy Board (NEB) on construction of one of Canada’s most divisive pipeline projects. While considered critical to the economic growth of Canada’s oil industry, the pipeline did not have universal support due to environmental, social, and economic risks associated with the project. This negotiation simulation requires students to adopt the position of regulatory, civilian, and industry representatives to identify considerations and achieve consensus on the construction of the pipeline. Undergraduate and graduate students alike will learn that competing perspectives and trade-offs occur in any decision involving a collective action problem, which can lead to agreements but also to failure.