In the News
UN chief urges ban on advertising from fossil fuel companies, the 'godfathers of climate chaos'
António Guterres echoes calls being made in Canada, where doctors have been pushing to ban misleading ad campaigns
For fossil fuel firms, greenwashing is just good business
Greenwashing — the marketing spin that tries to convince us that products and services are “green” or “sustainable” — is running rampant in Canada. But attempts to protect Canadian consumers through amendments to the federal Competition Act have sparked outrage from the fossil fuel industry and its friends in Ottawa.
Gasthma in the home, carbon in the sky
In the latest blow to the gas industry, researchers have linked gas stoves to one in eight cases of childhood asthma.
The burning truth behind gas stoves — and how it fanned the flames of a culture war
Last week, an official with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was considering banning new gas stoves amid research that links them to childhood asthma. The reaction was fast, and furious.
The propaganda playbook: How the PR industry shifted from tobacco to fossil fuels
AAdvertising campaigns for oil and gas companies are using familiar tactics to greenwash and shift public opinion, often with the same strategies that tobacco companies used to make smoking look sexy and appealing to youth.
In central Alberta, public school teachers gather for session on ‘bright future for oil and gas’
An annual teachers’ conference featured a speaker from a member of the Pathways Alliance — a group of oilsands firms advocating for continued use of fossil fuels alongside carbon capture
Oil sands lobby group facing Competition Act complaint over false and misleading claims
A coalition of Canada’s six largest oil sands companies is facing a new complaint with the Competition Bureau for an advertising campaign that Greenpeace Canada says is spreading dangerous climate disinformation.
Should winter events reject fossil fuel funds? With Rideau Canal skating on thin ice, Ottawa locals weigh in
After the capital's first season in 52 years without skating on the canal, residents consider doctors' call for Winterlude to drop Enbridge Gas
Competition Act reform: modernization cannot ignore sustainability
The single most important challenge facing all levels of society—including business—over the next 30 years is the transformation to a sustainable, net-zero economy in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Competition Act cannot be modernized if it does not reflect this reality.
Temper, Waters, Wines and Barnes: Big oil and gas should not be sponsoring Winterlude
How ironic was it that when ice sculptures melted in the streets and the Rideau Canal was shuttered, Enbridge Gas, Canada’s largest methane gas distribution company, was one of the festival’s main sponsors?
Feds urged to turn Competition Act into a greenwashing-fighting machine
Environmental and health groups are urging the federal government to turn a competition law into a powerful tool to tackle climate change and greenwashing.
Canada's market watchdog needs overhaul to target 'greenwashing,' say groups
As the federal government is currently looking to modernize competition policy in Canada, several groups say combating greenwashing should be at the top of their list.
Comment: False advertising must never again sabotage climate action
The fossil fuel industry used false advertising and biased industry-funded science to kill proposed regulations a quarter century ago.
Why Are Oil-and-Gas Companies Developing Lesson Plans for Teachers?
The fossil fuel industry has long understood the power of the school system in shaping perceptions around climate change
Canada’s largest oilsands companies being investigated over allegations they made false environmental claims
Greenpeace Canada alleges the consortium’s ad campaign, “Let’s clear the air,” is greenwashing. Pathways Alliance says it “strongly disagrees with the assertions in the Greenpeace complaint.”
Enbridge Accused of Lying to Customers
As Enbridge attempts to persuade the Ontario Energy Board it should be allowed to invest billions to expand the gas grid and lock in customers, a complaint filed with Competition Bureau Canada alleges the fossil fuel giant is using “deceptive marketing” to get its way.
It’s complicated: Canadian Museum of Nature rethinks its relationship status with Enbridge
Museum says it’s ‘revising’ its fundraising policy while former president defends taking fossil fuel money
Canada’s plans to crack down on greenwashing don’t go far enough, advocates say
A new report calls out the oil and gas industry’s misleading marketing tactics, from ‘cherry-picking the truth’ to ‘petro-science fiction’ and vague buzzwords
Canada’s new greenwashing rules still aren’t strong enough
For months, social media feeds in Canada have been bombarded with ads touting efforts by provincial gas utilities to capture so-called "renewable natural gas" produced from decomposing organic waste.
Doctors’ Billboards in Ottawa Condemn Fossil Industry for Causing ‘Health Emergency’
Doctors in Canada are using billboard campaigns and a newly-published toolkit to warn policy-makers and the public about the health hazards of burning fossil fuels, as well as the deceptive tactics Big Oil uses to dodge these issues and delay change.