Advocates' B.C. LNG ads deemed `greenwashing'

A series of ads touting the environmental benefits of liquefied natural gas was misleading and amounted to greenwashing, says a leaked decision by Canada's advertising regulatory body.

The ads — which claimed “B.C. LNG will reduce global emissions” and ran in newspapers and on billboard and transit ads — were paid for by the Canada Action Coalition, an advocacy group that supports Canada's oil and gas industry.

“These ads are textbook cases of greenwashing, right down to the colour of the ads,” said Dr. Melissa Lem, a Vancouver family doctor and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, which is campaigning to ban fossil fuel advertising.

The group said it received a leaked copy of the Ad Standards Council decision from a complainant and made it public Tuesday.

“The decision is significant because it shows the Ad Standards Council is stepping up and doing what government isn't doing, which is regulating misleading fossil fuel advertising that drives demands for fossil fuels.”

Canada Action spokesman Cody Battershill said the organization is appealing the decision.

The not-for-profit Ad Standards organization initially didn't comment, but later provided a statement from president and CEO Catherine Bate saying it is false to suggest it doesn't publicly release such decisions and that is takes all complaints seriously.

“It has become incumbent upon me to correct some of the public allegations made that were patently false in connection with a decision made by our Standards Council regarding complaints against certain LNG advertisements.”

Bate said the Jan. 30 decision did not mean the LNG group was required to immediately withdraw the ads. “The advertiser and complainants were only informed of the decision on May 7. The advertiser then responded with a request for an appeal, as is their right, within the required time frame. Complainants were similarly informed of council's decision and then of the appeal request.

“Throughout the process, LNG has responded promptly, adhered fully to the complaints procedure, and provided fulsome responses.”

Bate said allegations that Ad Standards doesn't publish council decisions are “false.” Bate blamed staff shortages and a surge in complaints resulting in a backlog that Ad Standards is working to clear. It called the leaks of a decision that was not yet final “egregious violations of confidentiality.”