OTTAWA – Canadians should know that oil giants like ExxonMobil are attempting to undermine Canada’s democratic process in this election. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) has created a front organization called Energy Citizen to spread false and misleading information about climate change and the support the fossil fuel industry receives from government.
On the Energy Citizen website Canadians are told that expanding oil and gas production will help Canada meet its greenhouse emission goals and that the industry it does not receive subsidies from government. Both are untrue.
“It’s unbelievable. The oil industry is claiming that expanding production will help Canada and the world avoid a climate catastrophe and, even more brazenly, it lies about the billions in subsidies it receives,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May.
Further, CAPP has imported the aggressive tactics used by the American Petroleum Institute and Donald Trump to spread misinformation across social media platforms, especially Facebook spending close to $100,000 already. Some of the funding for the campaign comes from foreign oil companies. CAPP’s U.S. mentor at API has bragged that it has built a database of 32 million Americans in 34 states that it uses to pressure politicians.
CAPP used a similar campaign to help Doug Ford get elected after he promised to get rid of carbon pricing and the cap on industrial emissions in Ontario.
“Every Canadian organization has a right to express its view during elections, but no one has the right to mislead the public,” said Ms. May. “We will blow past 1.5 degrees to 3 or 4 or 5 degrees if we listen to the self-interested irresponsible fossil fuel lobby”
The Green Party of Canada calls upon the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to come out of the shadows of Energy Citizen and stop using foreign money to spread misleading information.
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For more information or to arrange an interview contact:
John Bennett
Information Officer
Green Party of Canada
613 291 6888
Rosie Emery
Press Secretary
613-562-4916x206
rosie.emery@greenparty.ca