"Carbon Capture" Conference Speakers Agree - Anti-Greenwashing Rules Hamper O&G Industry's Ability To Lie

Despite promises of a “robust conversation” from the moderator, a panel discussion titled “Examining the Impact of Bill C-59” concluded that Canada’s efforts to clamp down on false advertising in the fossil fuel sector is part of a broad conspiracy to silence the energy industry. “Companies that are actually doing good sustainable things, clean green energy, are going to be afraid to talk about it because of the risks of fines and penalties,” said Sonya Savage, a former senior minister in Alberta’s government. “So it becomes green hushing — you can’t talk about it.”

The panel, moderated by Bill Whitelaw, managing director, Strategy and Sustainability at geoLOGIC Systems and JWN Energy, was part of the Carbon Capture Canada conference in Edmonton last week. The panelists included Lisa Baiton, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), and Savage, who held the environment and energy portfolios under former premier Jason Kenney. Savage has also worked as a senior executive for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, as well as Enbridge, a multinational pipeline company.

Whitelaw set the tone early in describing C-59 as “sneaky legislation,” stating that the law (which was part of an Omnibus bill) was “slid under the door” and that “parliamentarians pulled a fast one” in implementing it. C-59 includes changes to Canada’s Competition Act, which include provisions that explicitly target misleading environmental claims. C-59 took effect on June 20, 2024. Major Canadian oil companies — including those that have partnered in the Pathways Alliance carbon capture project — scrubbed mentions of carbon capture and other alleged climate change mitigation strategies from their websites as a result.

EDIT

The year 2015 likely refers to when Justin Trudeau became prime minister. Despite considerable public subsidies to Canada’s oil and gas sector throughout his time in office — including purchasing the $34 billion TransMountain pipeline — Trudeau has been routinely and inaccurately described as an environmental extremist by conservative political opponents and fossil fuel advocates. What’s more, the anti-greenwashing provisions in C-59 were not proposed by Trudeau’s Liberal Party, but rather by Charlie Angus, a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP). Savage described the anti-greenwashing measures as part of what she believes to be a coordinated and connected effort to damage the oil and gas sector. Asked about the impact of C-59 at CAPP, Lisa Baiton appeared to contradict herself when she said, “We were actually quite involved before it got passed. Yes, it was passed without consultations, but we did get wind of it and we did try to work with parliamentarians both in the House of Commons and in the Senate.” In fact, the public consultation process related to C-59’s anti-greenwashing provisions began in July and will run through to September 27.

EDIT

https://www.desmog.com/2024/09/19/new-anti-greenwashing-rules-are-silencing-industry-oil-advocates-say/