CALGARY –
The federal Competition Bureau is investigating the Canadian Gas Association to find out if it made deceptive statements in regards to the environmental influence of pure gas.
The bureau confirmed Thursday it has launched an inquiry into “alleged misleading advertising and marketing practices” by the trade foyer group. The inquiry was prompted by a grievance lodged by six people related with the advocacy group Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE).
The complainants allege the Canadian Gas Association — whose members embody firms akin to Enbridge Inc., FortisBC, and ATCO — is deceptive the general public with its “Fuelling Canada” advertising and marketing marketing campaign.
The marketing campaign promotes using pure gas as a type of low emission power. On the marketing campaign’s web site, the foyer group says “Canada’s pure gas trade works 24/7 to make sure reasonably priced, clear, and dependable power for households and companies.”
But the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment argues pure gas shouldn’t be as “clear” because the marketing campaign makes it sound. In a information launch, the group says pure gas is a fossil gasoline that contributes to world warming.
“The extraction and manufacturing of gas additionally pollutes the air and contaminates water sources, whereas nearer to dwelling, gas home equipment trigger indoor air air pollution and pose a critical well being danger for kids’s respiratory well being,” stated Dr. Melissa Lem, a member of CAPE and one of many complainants.
“As the world converges for COP27, decision-makers and regulators in Canada and past should step as much as finish company greenwashing.”
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, burning pure gas for power outcomes in fewer emissions of almost all varieties of air pollution and carbon dioxide than burning coal or petroleum merchandise.
However, the federal company says pure gas manufacturing and extraction is accountable for the leakage of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — into the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2019, methane emissions from pure gas and petroleum methods and from deserted oil and pure gas wells have been the supply of about 29 per cent of complete U.S. methane emissions and about 3 per cent of complete U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
In Canada, environmental teams have known as on this nation’s power sector to do extra to scale back so-called fugitive emissions — methane leaks that may happen throughout the pure gas drilling and extraction course of.
On its web site, the Canadian Gas Association stated the trade is working to deploy applied sciences that scale back emissions throughout all its operations. It stated current improvements embody hybrid heating, mixed heating and small-scale residential/business carbon seize — all of which have the potential to scale back the carbon footprint of pure gas utilization.
The federal Competition Bureau is obligated by regulation to research formal complaints associated to deceptive promoting, so long as they meet the technical necessities laid out under Canada’s Competition Act.
In September, the bureau confirmed it’s investigating a associated grievance of alleged “greenwashing” in promoting, this one with respect to RBC. The RBC inquiry was launched in gentle of a grievance by six people, backed by environmental teams, who allege the financial institution’s claims of being dedicated to realize net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and lending by 2050 are deceptive, given RBC continues to supply monetary help to the fossil gasoline sector.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Nov. 10, 2022.