This article was written by Clarrie Feinstein and was published in the Toronto Star on May 12, 2023.

Greenpeace Canada alleges the Pathways Alliance’s ad campaign is greenwashing

The Competition Bureau is launching a formal inquiry into Pathways Alliance, a consortium of Canada’s six largest oilsands companies, over allegations of false or misleading environmental claims in an ad campaign geared toward the Canadian public.

Spurred by a complaint from Greenpeace Canada in March, the Competition Bureau said in a statement to Greenpeace it will seek to “determine the facts relating to allegations that the Pathways Alliance has contravened the (Competition) Act by making false or misleading environmental representations.”

Formed in 2021, Pathways Alliance includes major companies such as Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips Canada, Imperial, Meg Energy and Suncor Energy.

Greenpeace Canada alleges the consortium’s ad campaign, “Let’s clear the air,” is greenwashing —

when a firm makes false or misleading claims about the environmental attributes of their business.

“Our request to the Competition Bureau regarding the Pathways Alliance’s misleading ad campaign was accepted and has set off an official inquiry into the dubious advertising practices of the Pathways Alliance,” Greenpeace Canada’s senior researcher and writer, Nola Poirier, said in a statement. “We think the public deserves to be told the truth about the environmental harm caused by fossil fuel production, not fed misleading sound bites by industry.”

Mark Cameron, vice-president external relations at Pathways Alliance, said the campaign acknowledges the oilsands represents a significant share of Canada’s emissions and collaborative efforts must be made across the industry and with government to deliver “responsibly produced oil.”

“We strongly disagree with the assertions in the Greenpeace complaint,” Cameron said in a statement to the Star. “We will continue to speak on behalf of one of Canada’s most important industries and show how we’re addressing the climate challenge while ensuring our country plays a leading role in providing global energy security and affordability.”

The application for the inquiry was made in March by members of Greenpeace Canada, along with representatives from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and Environmental Defence, among others.

The ad campaign, which launched in fall 2022, paints Pathways Alliance as a climate leader, flashing its net-zero target on high-profile placements such as Super Bowl commercials, a billboard at BC Place in Vancouver and covering streetcars in Toronto, Greenpeace said. Pathways Alliance ads have also appeared in the Star during this time.

TTC streetcars and buses are covered in ads that prominently display Pathways Alliance’s name, accompanied by the slogans “net-zero 2050” and “our net-zero plan is in motion.”

But it’s “impossible” for oil and gas production to be net-zero as 80 per cent of emissions are made in the burning of fossil fuels, which the ad campaign fails to mention, said Leah Temper, director of the Fossil Fuels Ads Make Us Sick campaign at CAPE.

“It’s making people believe we can have carbon neutral oil,” she said. “They are clearly trying to influence public opinion.”

In a video ad, Pathways Alliance also promotes the use of carbon capture, which involves the capture of carbon dioxide emissions and storing it deep underground.

However, carbon capture doesn’t help reduce emissions and is used to delay the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources, said Julia Levin, associate director of national climate at Environmental Defence.

If the inquiry finds that the Pathways Alliance members have made false and misleading representations, the applicants have requested they pay a fine that is the greater of $10 million or three per cent of worldwide gross revenues, which amounts to more than $8.5 billion, Greenpeace said.