Tag Archives: Environmental Defence

The Big Oil Playbook: recent Environmental Defence publication

That charitable organisation Environmental Defence has recently published a 23 page report called Big Oil Playbook : Fossil Fuel Industry Exposed. The report is playfully illustrated, but quite serious in concept; its purpose is clearly laid out on the first page:

The goal of this report is to paint a clear picture of how oil and gas companies operate, how they generate support for the industry and leverage it against effective climate solutions. Some of their tactics, like greenwashing and lobbying, have been well-publicized. Yet others have been largely hidden from the public, like funding astroturf groups, supporting anti-renewable energy campaigns, and infiltrating educational institutions.

The report documents ten established tactics used by the fossil industry in its battle against climate activism and decarbonisation policy.  Currents interviewed one of its lead authors, Emilia Belliveau from Environmental Defence Canada, about this project.  The broadcast version of this story is in two episodes. In the first part, Emilia explains the ten standard tactics. In the second part we dig a bit deeper into the details: how these tactics work, and their effects on communities and political life.

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Carney open to changing major environment policies so projects can ‘move forward’

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

Prime Minister Mark Carney worried environmentalists after he opened the door to changing federal impact assessment legislation and the oil and gas emissions cap in a recent interview.

“We will change things at the federal level that need to be changed in order for projects to move forward,” Carney told CTV News in an interview on Tuesday.

He was asked if this included Bill C-69 — the federal Impact Assessment Act — and a yet-to-be-finalized cap on oil and gas sector emissions.

“Absolutely, it could include both,” Carney responded.

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A Peek Into Big Oil’s Playbook with Environmental Defence

Environmental Defence just released a report showing that last year oil and gas company lobbyists were targeting the Conservative Party, in preference to the Canadian Government, by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Cortes Currents interviewed Emilia Belliveau, lead author of ‘Big Oil’s Playbook, A Summary of Big Oil’s 2024 Federal Lobbying’ and asked Max Thaysen, from the Cortes Island Climate Action Network for his insights.  

Emilia Belliveau:  “Environmental Defence is a charity, so we are nonpartisan. What I can do is simply relay the facts, which are that the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party did not take any lobbyist meetings. The NDP took a very small number, four. Then you have most of the lobby meetings targeting the Federal Liberals and the Federal Conservatives. The Federal Liberals had 62 meetings with ministers and 29 meetings with backbencher MPs, and Conservative MPs took 216  lobby meetings.”

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Liberals’ climate wing backs Carney for leader

By John Woodside, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The climate wing of the Liberal Party is rallying around Mark Carney, offering the former central banker credibility on a file the Grits see as their competitive advantage over Conservatives.

This week Carney picked up endorsements from Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson (who previously served as environment minister), and MP Ryan Turnbull, a major proponent of sustainable finance who served as the Parliamentary Secretary under former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

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Poll Finds 54% of Canadians Support Prioritizing Renewable Energy

54% of the respondents to a new poll from Abacus Data stated they think Canada should prioritize the development of renewable energy, 36% would like to see a ‘balanced approach’ and 11% would rather prioritize fossil fuels. 

“ We commissioned Abacus to run this polling for us and see where Canadians stand in terms of their support for renewable energy and around reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. What’s clear is that a majority of Canadians want to see government action to phase out fossil fuels and prioritize renewable energy. Canadians know that renewables are a win, win, win. We know that they save people money. They mean lower energy bills. Renewables mean cleaner air. They mean job creation. So the benefits are huge,” explained Julia Levin, Associate Director for National Climate, Environmental Defence.

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