2024.IE16.8

Background

“Fossil fuel companies have a well-documented history of using their immense wealth for advocacy advertising to undermine public support for policies that reduce fossil fuel pollution. Such policies are necessary and urgent to preserve a liveable future for today’s young people. The Pathways Alliance, a coalition of six billionaire fossil fuel companies who produce 95% of tar sands bitumen, has actively advertised for this purpose in Toronto, eliciting a number of public complaints. Another fossil fuel lobby group, Canada Action, has also actively advertised across Canada.”

Source: City of Toronto

Item Description

This item proposes for a “report back by the second quarter of 2025 on a policy to decline fossil fuel advocacy advertising on City assets”.

Source: City of Toronto

Proposed by

Councillor Dianne Saxe

Additional Details

An amendment proposed by Dianne Saxe on July 24, 2025 added a requirement for a “report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee by the first quarter of 2027 on complaints received by the City about alleged greenwashing in advertisements carried on City assets, and what, if any, measures have been taken in response by the Competition Bureau of Canada.” Part 2 of this motion, advocating for an investigation into the necessity and feasibility of prohibiting fossil fuel advertisements altogether was overwhelmingly rejected, having only the support of Dianne Saxe and Jamaal Myers. Brad Bradford, Olivia Chow, Amber Morley, and Michael Thompson were absent for both parts of the amendment vote.