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