Canadian Organizations Scrub Websites Amid Climate Misinformation Crackdown
With the recent pushback against environmental misinformation in Canada, the Pathways Alliance, a group of the country’s leading fossil fuel companies, has erased the content from their website and social media platforms. The decision was prompted by Bill C-59, an amendment to Canada’s Competition Act, necessitating companies to provide evidence for their environmental claims. A brief statement was all that remained.
Leah Temper, Health and Economic Policy Program Director at the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, referred to this move as a possible turning point for corporate accountability in Canada. She noted that Bill C-59’s effect on truth in advertising can already be seen, even before it has officially passed.
Temper remarked, “Companies can currently make any environmental claim they please with absolute impunity. It’s a wild west.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that disinformation regarding the environment and climate change is a key obstacle to enforcing robust enough climate policies to prevent the situation from worsening.
The Pathways Alliance, among other groups, had already been under investigation by the Competition Bureau before the introduction of the new rule. However, this is not the only initiative aimed at combating greenwashing and climate disinformation. Environmental organizations and politicians have been submitting complaints to the Competition Bureau, filing lawsuits, and proposing new legislation to alleviate these problems for over two years.
Some significant initiatives include:
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- NDP MP Charlie Angus introduced a private members bill in February that seeks to prohibit deceptive fossil fuel advertising, a strategy similar to those used against tobacco ads in the 1990s.
- The federal Competition Bureau is presently conducting various investigations into greenwashing allegations against resource extraction companies and industry groups, including examining the Pathways Alliance’s net zero claims.
- In March, B.C. residents and environmental groups filed a lawsuit against FortisBC over alleged greenwashing of its gas products.
- Last month, a leaked document revealed that Ad Standards, Canada’s industry organization for ad regulation, ruled against misleading advertisements promoting liquified natural gas by the pro-oil-and-gas group Canada Action. However, Ad Standards lacks enforcement powers and its final decisions remain confidential.
The decision by Pathways Alliance to erase its website might be an indication that greenwashing crackdown efforts are proving to be effective, according to Temper. She stressed on the urgency of this shift, stating, “Significant decisions about our energy futures are being made daily. Greenwashing is specifically designed to hinder this energy transition.”
Original Story at www.nationalobserver.com