The obvious note-- one of general preference for *any* discussion with corporations over those perceived as being "pro environment" is worthy of note, but as important if not more so is that these same ENGO's *all* are corporate themselves. The Pembina Institute is a known corporate partner of Suncor (among others) and heavy promoter of carbon offsets (and 'producing' of these offsets via so-called green energy such as wind and hydro projects, to then sell to corporations like their partner Suncor who them can greenwash their "business as usual" operations without any changes whatsoever). The Canadian Boreal Initiative works in tandem with Suncor, Tembec, AlPac, Domtar, Royal Bank of Canada and Nexen. The same CBI *does not exist* except as a project program of Ducks Unlimited, who themselves are financially kept afloat through the giant initially Sunoco founded Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia.
The David Suzuki Foundation has jumped ship to become the green face of the viciously anti-environmental BC Liberal Government. Their Executive Director, now in the same BC government, has personally pledged fealty to the oil and gas party of British Columbia.
None of the organizations who are getting a chance to talk with the government are anti-development. All of them believe in the system of oil and gas based economics and wish to paint the ungreenable structure green.
It is alarming that the government of the Federal Conservatives and Jim Prentice in particular have so many corporate voices whispering in their ears. However, far more damning is the fact that the 'green' voices we are to believe are muted are in fact the green wing of industrial development, carbon trading schemes and stalling for direct action to combat climate change. Such is the most dangerous angle of the few who speak to them, not the fact they are so few.
Governments like the Conservative have an almost impossible sell convincing the world they are tackling the urgent questions of climate change. Selling themselves as serious actors on the question requires massive help from the erstwhile pro-corporate cabal of industry partnered "Environmentalists".
--M
Oil and gas grab Prentice's pre-Copenhagen attention
Minister met six times more industry representatives than environmental groups.
By Laura Payton
Published January 13, 2010
Embassy Mag
Environment Minister Jim Prentice logged nearly six times more interactions with oil company executives than he did with NGOs in the six months prior to the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, according to records in Canada's lobbyist registry.
Representatives from oil and gas companies logged 40 communications with Mr. Prentice in the registry, including meetings and phone calls, from June 7 to the end of November, shortly before the UN's conference on climate change began in Denmark. At the same time, he listed only seven communications with environmental NGOs or international aid groups, prompting one group's executive director to call the access "complete[ly] disproportional."
"It doesn't surprise me," said Marlo Raynolds, head of the Pembina Institute, which led environmental NGOs with two meetings with the minister. "The oil and gas sector government relations budget, accessibility and their resources to lobby are orders of magnitude larger than the environmental movement. So it doesn't surprise me that the oil and gas sector has much stronger resources to be able to get access."
The UN climate conference, which ran Dec. 7 to 18, was intended to reach international agreement on the path to slowing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Lobbying and public relations efforts were intense as governments prepared to negotiate a post-Kyoto Protocol agreement.
Canada was resoundingly criticized at the conference for being unproductive. The Conservative government has been accused of refusing to adopt strong targets and regulations to fight climate change in an effort to protect the country's oil and gas companies, the majority of which are based in Alberta.
Among the oil and gas and energy companies who met or spoke with Mr. Prentice prior to the Copenhagen conference, ATCO Power Ltd. and TransCanada Corporation led the way with seven lobbyist registry entries each. Both companies declined to comment on what they discussed with Mr. Prentice. Nova Scotia Power Incorporated, Encana Corporation and Suncor Energy Inc. each had three meetings.
On the NGO side, the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, Oxfam Canada, World Vision Canada, the Canadian Boreal Initiative and the David Suzuki Foundation all logged one communication.
Other interactions don't fall into the oil and gas or NGO category, but could also be considered stakeholders in any climate decisions. The University of Calgary, for example, logged a communication listing the environment as a topic. Dow Chemical Canada, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Ford, the Canadian Steel Producers Association, Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. and Agrium Inc. also logged interactions on the environment.
For the most part, the registry provides only short descriptors for the conversations, such as "environment" or "MacKenzie Valley Pipeline."
A spokesman for Mr. Prentice said a number of the registry's entries for Mr. Prentice were for meetings regarding the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline and Alaska Pipeline projects, for which Mr. Prentice is also responsible.
"Those communications disclosures have nothing to do with climate change," wrote Frédéric Baril in an email. He noted that three of the meetings with ATCO were about the Commission for Environmental Co-operation, a Canada-US-Mexico collaboration on trade and the environment.
"Prior to Copenhagen, we have received a lot of requests from various sectors like energy and environmental groups," he added. "[Environment Canada] is responsible for regulations under six different acts and therefore the minister has regulatory responsibilities for the mining sector, biofuels, the chemical management plan, and species at risk, amongst others."
Mr. Baril did say that one of the reported meetings involved an energy company executive who was part of the delegation to the Copenhagen conference, but did not expand beyond that.
Mr. Raynolds said that while Pembina logged two meetings, one of them on Oct. 13 included industry representatives so the two sides could present a consensus document on a cap and trade system. Mr. Raynolds says Pembina facilitated the meeting, but it wasn't an opportunity for them to directly lobby the minister.
However, while Pembina reported the meeting, he said industry groups present included Direct Energy, Spectra Energy, Dow Dupont and Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. Of those, only Dow Chemical registered a meeting with Mr. Prentice on that date.
A spokesman for Imperial Oil, which logged six communications with the minister, says his company considers discussions with government ministers to be an important part of policy-setting.
"We very much recognize that all stakeholders—industry, environmental organizations, etcetera—have the right to meet with government and the lobbyist registry has helped to make that whole process more open and more transparent," said Pius Rolheiser. "We operate within that framework...it gives people a sense of who and how often is taking meetings with government."
Mr. Raynolds is skeptical about the lobbyist communications log, however.
"The list doesn't tell the whole story at all," he said. "It doesn't account for what are called casual meetings, [running into each other] at receptions and events. There are many high-cost events and receptions that the NGOs just don't show up to and can't afford to buy a plate at. Whereas the oil and gas sector, part of the reason they host them is to have informal schmooze time and informal lobbying time."
Despite that, Mr. Raynolds says Pembina doesn't feel shut out from Mr. Prentice's office.
"We have relatively good access to Minister Prentice's chief of staff. If we have a question or email, he does respond. If we have a request for a phone call he definitely takes that request.... Other environmental NGOS may feel very differently."
NDP environment critic Linda Duncan says she's had a number of groups get in touch with her to say they can't get meetings with Mr. Prentice.
"Canada has committed to engage the public in all environmental decision making," in the NAFTA side agreement on the environment, Ms. Duncan said. "So he's violating that agreement."
Ms. Duncan says it doesn't matter whether the minister was meeting oil and gas companies about climate change or about a pipeline.
"There are lots of people who are concerned about the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline," she said. "If they say that is the rationale [for the imbalance], that's reprehensible."
David McGuinty, the Liberal party's critic on the environment file, says the government is scared of the issue, which is why it is having backroom meetings.
"Canada's energy future is at stake here and at play. But instead of having open public hearings at the environment committee or in Parliament, instead of tabling legislation and regulations to deal with the greenhouse gas conundrum we're facing, everything is done in hiding," Mr. McGuinty said.
"One hundred per cent, this is a question of discretion exercised by the minister. He's deciding to meet a preponderence of groups from one sector over others," he said.
