The Pathways Alliance group of oilsands companies removed all content from its platforms, while other companies have modified their websites and social media in anticipation of new greenwashing rules that were passed Thursday as part of an update to the Competition Act.
The executives behind Pathways said the public disclosure standards in the bill are so vague that they lack meaning and rely on undefined internationally recognized methodology that "may or may not exist." "What the Competition Bureau has always done is make sure companies aren't fooling or lying to Canadians."
The update is also important, said Montgomery, because there's been an increase in so-called future washing, or promises of better environmental records ahead, that have so far proved difficult to police. While the decision by oil and gas companies may serve to confirm skeptics' existing views, it will also reinforce opinions on the pro-industry side, said Joanne McNeish, associate professor of marketing at Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Business.