Throughout 2024, CAFES has advocated for a ban on advertising that promotes fossil fuels across all City of Ottawa facilities. Just like tobacco advertising has adverse consequences in health outcomes, fossil fuel advertising has adverse climate impacts.
Our concern is both with fossil fuel advertising in Ottawa public spaces (e.g. in hockey rinks, on OCTranspo buses) and with misleading fossil fuel advertising.
CAFES would like Ottawa City councillors to feel emboldened by,
Sensing a lack of progress, in early December 2024 CAFES motivated a meeting between city staff, legal council, Councillor Menard (Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee), and our allies on this file, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Ecology Ottawa, Horizon Ottawa and Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN). We pointed out that the Menard motion on this topic calls on staff to provide council with options forward on how the City of Ottawa sponsorship and advertising policy should be amended to engage with these issues.
Fossil fuel advertisements enact harm by spreading misinformation and increase demand for carbon-intensive goods and services. Further, many fossil fuel (or fossil fuel-friendly) companies use their advertisements to mislead the public by presenting themselves as climate-friendly. These companies may also use their sponsorship to gain political access and social legitimacy. Seeing these advertisements around Ottawa can also deteriorate trust in public institutions.
Ottawans have already felt the effects of climate change in recent years - through tornadoes, flooding, wildfire smoke, and a derecho. Activities central to Ottawa’s identity and tourism sector have also been impacted, such as Winterlude and the Rideau Canal Skateway. A future of climate disasters will cost our city untold millions in infrastructure, insurance, and health costs, beyond the loss of homes, lives, and livelihoods. Yet scientists warn that extreme weather will only increase as our climate warms, and they agree that the combustion of fossil fuels is the primary cause of climate change.
Nationally, the oil and gas industry is responsible for about 30% of Canada’s greenhouse gasses (GHGs). Canada is committed to reducing GHG emissions with a goal of reducing emissions by 2030 to 40-45% below what they were in 2005, and an interim goal of 20% below 2005 emissions by 2026.
With regards to the City of Ottawa's commitments, Ottawa has signed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and declared climate emergency in 2019, with a goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
Allowing advertising for fossil fuel products and industries and sponsorship in City facilities is inconsistent with the City of Ottawa’s policies, values, and mission. The City should be aligning its advertising policy with its values and commitments to combat climate change. We call on City Council to take action by prohibiting the advertisement and promotion of fossil fuels and to cease sponsorship by fossil fuel companies in City of Ottawa facilities, including OC Transpo.
In March 2024, CAFES' Executive Director Angela Keller-Herzog presented a public delegation to the Finance and Corporate Services Committee on Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising Policies, and recommended that the city:
For more information on how to combat climate misinformation, visit our webpage HERE - the dedicated CAFES Climate Misinformation Team has been consistently working on adding new content to help you all respond to climate misinformation when you come across it.
Lastly, if you are looking for a fun little pick-me-up to complement all this fossil fuel talk, check out this hilarious video produced by Serious People featuring Oli Frost! (click the button below)
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