InfluenceMap released report on climate and energy policy advocacy by the Canadian oil and gas sector

InfluenceMap published a report in February 2023, examining the climate-related policy messaging and engagement of Canada’s six largest oil and gas companies and the main industry group, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). The report concluded that, despite the sector's high-level communications around net-zero ambition, the entities’ actual engagements largely contradict the IPCC’s guidance, and therefore, represent examples of 'net-zero greenwashing'.

Canadian Oil and Gas Sector’s Climate Policy Engagement

According to Canada’s Greenhouse gas emissions statistics, oil and gas have contributed the largest proportion of the country’s emissions of any sector, accounting for 27% of total emissions in 2020. However, the sector continued to receive various forms of government patronage including more than $18 billion in subsidies in 2022. The report, therefore, provides a meaningful prompt (yet again) for stakeholders to look behind companies’ high-level commitments and reiterate the principle of Consistency. As the RLF explains in the context of responsible lobbying, organisations should practice what they preach, remaining consistent with their professional codes, organisational values, and other public positions.

 “…a number of corporations that are involved in the supply chain of both upstream and downstream of fossil fuel companies make up the majority of organizations opposed to climate action.”

-         The Canadian Oil and Gas Industry and Climate Policy, February 2023

According to the InfluenceMap analysis, four of the six companies – Cenovus Energy, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Imperial Oil, and TC Energy – demonstrated negative climate policy engagement, while Suncor Energy and Enbridge appeared to have engaged positively on some areas while opposing others. CAPP, the industry association representing upstream oil and gas companies, appeared to be the most active in opposing policy progress.

On the topic of fossil fuel expansion, the report finds that all the seven entities have advocated in favour of expansion. The specific measures include advocating for policies to increase the role of fossil fuels in Canada, supporting additional investments in fossil fuel infrastructure (while the supported buildout can be traced across North America), and promoting ‘clean’ fossil fuel (i.e., promoting fossil fuels on the basis that they are part of the transition to clean energy – deploying clean technologies such as carbon capture and storage to maintain fossil fuels in the energy mix). Narratives of such engagement generally argue against urgent climate actions, citing the needs to focus on economic competitiveness, consider energy access, and direct policy toward other jurisdictions.

Notably, the report also discussed the role of The Pathways Alliance, an organisation claiming to support climate action through collaboration between industry, government, and other stakeholders, with a focus on amplifying the commitments of oil sands producers.