Dear Minister Guilbeault
CC. Francis Pigeon, Executive Director - Canada Pavilion at COP27
Re: Kick polluters out of the Canada Pavilion
Civil society organizations are concerned about oil, gas and petrochemical companies being given event space at the first-ever COP Canada Pavilion. We are formally requesting that the Canada Pavilion cancel the Nov. 11 Pathways Alliance Event and all events featuring participation by oil, gas or petrochemical companies.
Industries aligned with climate action are welcomed in event programming, and there are many of these companies present at COP27. However, oil and gas companies, like those active within the Pathways Alliance, have been the biggest obstacle to climate action — both at COP and back in Canada, and for decades now have made their fortunes while millions around the world suffer the tragedies of climate impacts.
Oil and gas companies are touting themselves as climate leaders, while in fact their activities continue to erode the rights and negatively impact the health and culture of Indigenous communities, notably through trillions of liters of toxic waste stored in tailings “ponds.” Companies keep pointing to carbon capture and storage — despite the technology’s decades-long track record of underperformance and failure. And even if the technology did work, carbon capture would do nothing about the environmental harm caused to Indigenous nations at the frontlines of oil and gas extraction. Carbon capture cannot address the 80%-90% of emissions that are emitted when the oil and gas they pump out of the ground gets burned. The industry isn’t interested in carbon capture to reduce emissions — it’s about greenwashing its plans to continue producing fossil fuels for decades to come.
Platforming these companies at the Canada Pavilion is harmful for our global reputation. The net-zero recommendations from the UN expert body chaired by former Minister of the Environment Catherine McKenna were clear: “You cannot be a net-zero leader while continuing to build or invest in fossil fuel supply.”
We call on the government of Canada and those charged with managing the Canada Pavilion to heed this call, and remove any future events featuring oil, gas, and petrochemical companies from the official Pavilion schedule of events.
Sincerely,
Environmental Defence
Équiterre
Climate Action Network Canada
Indigenous Climate Action
Keepers of the Water
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers- CUPW-STTP
Stand.earth
David Suzuki Foundation
Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE)
Oil Change International
350.org
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Fresque de la biodiversité Québec
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada
AbibiNsroma Foundation
Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE)
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP)
Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN!)
Wilderness Committee
Climate Emergency Unit
Génération climat Montréal
Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique au Québec SCFP-Québec
The Council of Canadians
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Greenpeace Canada
Calgary Climate Hub
Leadnow
The Climate Reality Project Canada
Protect Our Winters Canada
Greater Victoria Climate Hub
