Oilsands giants lobbied to weaken emissions cap

Oilsands giants lobbied to weaken emissions cap

Through the Pathways Alliance, an organization of some of Canada’s largest oil producers, high-level bureaucrats were asked for long lead times and a ‘flexible, non-regulatory approach’ to usher in a limit on the sector’s air pollution. Carl Meyer writes for The Narwhal.


In a nutshell:

In a strategy that we've seen play out all too often, yet another unholy alliance has arisen to carry the banner of fossil fuels forever. The Pathways Alliance, a consortium of Canadian oil giants, employed multiple proxies and personas to spin a net-zero fantasy to the public, while angling for favors and muscling aside opposition on the political front. Six major oil companies joined forces, seeking to stall, obfuscate or outright eliminate meaningful climate action.

Key quote:

“They’re clearly pursuing slower, weaker emissions caps as part of what I see as a more general trend towards climate delay in the sector, and even globally,” said Chris Russill, an associate professor and academic director at Re.Climate, an environmental communications center at Carleton University.

Big picture:

Formed in 2021, The Pathways Alliance moved quickly to put their stamp on Canadian climate policy. The organization has advanced an energy agenda recommending a flexible approach to emissions caps defined by loose regulations and a long, slow walk into a carbon-free future built on promises so fanciful that they triggered a deceptive marketing investigation. The centerpiece of the Pathways plan to decarbonize is of carbon capture and storage, which the group admits must rely on considerable government support to fund the unproven technology and clear the regulatory runway. Critics are quick to point out that eliminating emissions from oil and gas production won't address the 80% of greenhouse gas emissions associated with burning oil and gas.

Read the full story in The Narwhal.

Environmentalists are struggling, but their struggle isn’t unique to the Trump administration

Environmentalists are struggling, but their struggle isn’t unique to the Trump administration

“No one is going to save us.”

It’s a difficult time to be an environmental advocate. On his first day as president, Trump reversed most of the Biden administration’s climate policies with a series of executive orders. Since then, the administration has frozen funding for clean energy projects and community climate grants, and put most of the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency’s office of environmental justice staff on administrative leave, and rolled back key environmental protections.
Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Close-up of a green plant leaf with intricate veins and structures visible.

Trump order stalls Indigenous-led climate efforts

A sweeping Trump directive to kill “equity-related” contracts has frozen millions in funding for Indigenous-led climate and energy projects, throwing tribal science programs into crisis.

Yessenia Funes reports for Atmos.

Keep reading...Show less
Factory smokestacks emit smoky pollutants against an orange sky.
Credit: Faux Toe/BigStock Photo ID: 1366970

Scientists fear rollback of clean air rules could bring acid rain back

The scientist who first discovered acid rain is warning that Trump-era rollbacks to air pollution rules could erase one of America’s greatest environmental wins.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Old rusty oil pump in a green field.

Trump freezes federal funds for abandoned oil well cleanup, leaving states in limbo

President Trump has halted a $4.7 billion federal program to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells, putting state-level efforts to reduce pollution and methane emissions on hold.

Nick Bowlin reports for High Country News.

Keep reading...Show less
lightning strike against dark blue sky.

Trump blocks funding for science agencies, risking AI and weather research

More than $300 million in federal science funds are in limbo after President Donald Trump rejected parts of a bipartisan emergency spending package, sparking legal concerns from both parties.

Andres Picon reports for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Dry landscape with green trees in the background.

Earth is losing soil moisture fast — and it’s changing sea levels and the planet’s rotation

Water loss from Earth’s soil and land surfaces has surged since the early 2000s, with a new study finding this global shift is accelerating sea-level rise and even altering the planet’s rotation.

Kasha Patel reports for The Washington Post

Keep reading...Show less
Black and white photo of ice melting.

Global sea ice reaches record low as Earth's poles continue to warm

The planet's sea ice has shrunk to its lowest recorded level in March, a sign of accelerating global warming driven by fossil fuel emissions.

Austyn Gaffney reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.