Two new briefings released today by InfluenceMap highlight how strategic, persistent, and well-coordinated lobbying by Canadian oil and gas interests and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce appear to have resulted in a near-complete rewrite of the country's climate and energy policy.
Within months of its election, the new federal government met industry demands by withdrawing or weakening key climate policies, including the Oil and Gas Emissions Cap, the Clean Electricity Regulations, the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard (EVAS), and the CCUS Investment Tax Credit. It has also promised to weaken the rules addressing misleading environmental claims from businesses under the Competition Act Amendments. InfluenceMap’s analysis tracks industry calls for each of these changes via a succession of “Build Canada Now” letters, signed by key oil and gas players, as well as high levels of engagement with policy consultations and strategic public messaging on these topics.
The Government is also found to have adopted misleading industry narratives in its own communications on climate issues, including referring to “decarbonized oil” and to fossil fuels as necessary for maintaining national security priorities. The Government has then used these arguments to justify real-world policy decisions, such as prioritizing oil and gas expansion through the new government-led Major Projects Office. Continued support for new oil and gas exploration in Canada directly contradicts the country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement climate goals.
Notably, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber), one of Canada’s most influential cross-sector business groups, echoed most of the oil and gas industry’s demands in its lobbying on these issues, despite its stated support for climate action and the need for regulation. While The Chamber presents itself as the unified voice of Canadian business, its stance on climate policy is far more oppositional than that of many of its member companies, such as Teck Resources and Alphabet, which are typically more positive on climate. In fact, InfluenceMap finds that The Chamber’s lobbying on oil and gas expansion closely mirrors the demands of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which InfluenceMap previously identified as one of the most obstructive groups globally on climate action.
The new Canadian Government’s adoption of many oil and gas demands and narratives in the first year of its tenure demonstrates oil and gas interests’ capture of climate policymaking, raising concerns about the future of existing policies. Particularly at risk is federal industrial carbon pricing, which will be updated this year amid continued opposition from the oil and gas industry and The Chamber, among others. These findings also underscore the need for robust transparency and accountability mechanisms for corporate influence over climate policymaking in Canada.
Sofia Shehana Basheer, Senior Analyst at InfluenceMap, said:
In Canada, the fossil fuel industry appears to have fully captured decision-making on climate, pushing needless expansion of fossil fuels even as the country increasingly faces uncontrollable wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding. Despite recent polls showing that two-thirds of Canadians want climate action, the Canadian government's capitulation to oil and gas companies and powerful groups like the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has effectively nullified years of progress, reversing course when action is most needed.
Click here to read InfluenceMap’s Canadian Oil and Gas Briefing
Click here to read InfluenceMap’s Canadian Chamber of Commerce Briefing
Kitty Hatchley, Media Manager, InfluenceMap (London)
Email: kitty.hatchley {@} influencemap.org
