Stewart says these types of astroturfing activities are concerning because citizens don’t realize oil companies are actually the ones writing these “grassroots” messages and calls to action. These companies and others, pay membership dues to CAPP, which in turn can be used to advocate for the industry through lobbying and marketing efforts like this. Suncor, Imperial Oil, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus and Shell did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. “This way, you know, their logo isn't on this petition but they're paying for it … it’s their dues that fund CAPP and there's no way something like this comes out of CAPP without the major players being OK with it.” The website for Canada’s Energy Citizens is run by CAPP, uses the same phone number and even appears to share a media relations email with the industry association. front group started by the American Petroleum Institute, political economist Gordon Laxer wrote in his December 2021 report on Big Foreign Oil. In 2014, CAPP created Canada’s Energy Citizens, modelling it off a U.S. Among the tactics mentioned are “falsely depicting industry as joining the fight against climate change” and “engineering astroturf ‘citizen’ groups to advocate for industry interests and defeat legislative proposals.” “This is an organized push by public relations firms who are working on behalf of the wealthiest and most powerful companies in the country.”Īfter decades of downplaying the risks of climate change and flat-out denying it, the oil and gas industry has changed tack to use modern marketing techniques that are “arguably far more insidious,” according to a new report by the U.S. “This isn't just, you know, regular Joe or Jane who's expressing their concerns,” Stewart told Canada’s National Observer in an interview. Ads that link to the petition were viewed on a screen approximately one million times collectively, according to the data. From June 2019 to present, that figure exceeds $500,000. The data reveals CAPP spent more than $23,000 on ads posted by Canada’s Energy Citizens about “social issues, elections or politics” from Sept. 9 by Canada’s Energy Citizens and paid for by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), warn that imposing a cap on the industry could reduce Canada’s oil and gas production and “harm workers.” A link leads to a petition, which argues “the world has changed.” It also cites global energy security and a “struggling Canadian economy” as reasons an emissions cap is an “unrealistic” solution.įor the most part, the ads target people in Ontario, Alberta and, to a lesser extent, B.C., according to the Facebook Ad Library. Only the ads aren't coming from the lobby group - they're posted by a self-described “grassroots” oil and gas advocacy group. Canada’s most powerful oil lobby group is paying for Facebook ads urging Canadians to oppose greenhouse gas emissions limits on the oil and gas industry.
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