WHAT IS LOBBYING?
Lobbying is when someone employed by a company meets with government officials to try to influence policies, government programs, funding decisions, or the awarding of government contracts.
Politicians can choose who they will accept meetings with. They are under no obligation to meet with and listen to lobbyists.Â
How has oil and gas lobbying shaped Canadian climate policy?
Big oil is the biggest barrier to climate action in Canada. Their lobbyists push back against policies that would impose regulations on the fossil fuel industry and advocate for subsidies, tax breaks, and loopholes. With large budgets and dedicated staff, oil and gas lobbyists have effectively delayed, weakened, and even killed essential environmental policies.Â
These lobbyists have been meeting with politicians and government staff for decades, but they have been especially bold in the last few years. Fossil fuel companies and their main industry associations had at least 1,255 meetings with the federal government in 2023. That means Big Oil lobbied Parliament nearly 5 times per working day.
MEETINGS
IN 2024, FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER, OIL & GAS LOBBYISTS HAD 695 MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNMENT
Natural Resources
Canada
Canada
times
Privy Council
Office
Office
times
Environment & Climate
Change Canada
Change Canada
times
PATHWAYS ALLIANCE
Pathways Alliance is a lobby group made up of the six largest oil sands company. As a group, they heavily push false solutions like carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to perpetuate fossil fuel production.
Pathways Alliance
Meet Canada's Climate villains
Who are the people behind these companies and lobby groups holding us back from taking meaningful action? They're the influential players behind Canada's oil and gas industry who are more concerned about their profits and wealth than the future of the planet.Â
Canada's Climate Villains
Ready to out-lobby oil and gas?
Oil and gas lobby groups aren't the only ones that have access to elected officials. Check out our Advocacy 101 video series to learn how to get started and talk to your local representatives about climate action.Â
Take action
FOLLOW THE LOBBY BOT
The bot automatically posts on Twitter all recent instances of oil and gas companies lobbying politicians in the Canadian government. In many of these meetings, these companies are trying to block climate action and get more subsidies.
