Competition Bureau should investigate government for ‘greenwashing’: NDP

OTTAWA — NDP parliamentary leader Don Davies wants the Competition Bureau to investigate whether Prime Minister Mark Carney’s own words are proof the government’s advertising on clean energy infrastructure violates the government’s law against greenwashing.

The Competition Bureau defines greenwashing as false, misleading or unsubstantiated environmental claims about a product, service or practice.

In a letter sent to the bureau on Tuesday, Davies outlined statements Carney made in a video published on June 30 acknowledging emissions will be higher in Canada following changes to climate policies first enacted under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

“To put it most bluntly, we think the Carney government is using taxpayer dollars to mislead Canadians and greenwashing. And not only is that unethical and inappropriate, but it’s also illegal,” Davies said.

A spokesperson from the Competition Bureau said in an emailed response that the agency received Davies’ letter Tuesday, and any investigative work is confidential.

The spokesperson added that the provisions in the Competition Act generally apply to commercials that promote a product or business and not Government of Canada communications.

In the video, titled “Forward Guidance: Canada’s Energy Future,” Carney said Canada’s old climate plan was too expensive and divisive, while the new one boasts significant investment in renewables and will lower emissions in the long term.

Since taking office in March 2025, Carney has eliminated the consumer carbon price and made changes to how the industrial carbon price will work. He also scrapped an emissions cap on oil and gas production, while signing an agreement with Alberta offering federal support for a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast.

Carney says in the video that Canada’s emissions “will be higher in the next few years” due to his administration’s policies.

Davies said he began seeing an Environment and Climate Change Canada advertisement during the FIFA World Cup talking about how the country’s energy policy will lower emissions. That same ad was posted to the agency’s YouTube channel on June 30.

The 30-second video shows windmills and solar panels and says Canada will build a “cleaner future.”

“So they were clearly trying to tell Canadians that their energy projects and energy plan will lower emissions,” Davies said in a phone interview.

“Obviously the climate crisis is right in everybody’s faces. Canadians are being evacuated from communities, we have a typically horrific and increasing wildfire season, Europe is experiencing all sorts of wildfires, Japan flooding, the oceans are roiling with high temperatures. The impacts of climate change are all about us. And so we have the Carney government who is trying to expedite a second bitumen pipeline.”

In his letter, Davies said the government’s own greenwashing law requires anyone running an ad making that kind of claim to be able to show evidence to back it up.

He argued Carney saying emissions will rise in the next few years, coupled with the possibility of public money being used to build a proposed oil pipeline through Alberta and B.C., violates the greenwashing legislation.

While the law is targeted at businesses, Davies said the potential use of public funds in a pipeline, or any other fossil fuel project, is a clear example of business activity.

The greenwashing law was first passed under former prime minister Justin Trudeau but was amended by Carney’s government to lighten the burden of proof to substantiate environmental claims and prevent third parties, such as environment groups, from formally requesting greenwashing investigations.

Davies said this change is why he is just requesting that the Competition Bureau launch an investigation because all he can do is present evidence and hope they act under the current legislation.

“I don’t think taxpayer dollars should be used to mislead Canadians or to advance propaganda. I think that’s what’s happening here as well,” Davies said.

The Canadian Press has reached out to the environment minister for comment but has not yet received a response.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2026.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press