Cap the Crap: The alarming rise in climate denial in Canadian politics

When the Alberta government launched its “Scrap the Cap” campaign, I wasn’t surprised — but I was furious. Once again, millions of taxpayer dollars are being funneled into defending Big Oil, while Alberta’s healthcare system crumbles, affordable housing remains out of reach and families struggle with sky-high grocery bills. This isn’t just bad policy; it’s a slap in the face for working-class people and a glaring example of a government putting corporate profits over public needs. 

Premier Danielle Smith’s latest PR push is little more than fossil fuel propaganda, designed to protect billionaires as they continue to torch our planet for profit. That’s why 350.org responded with “Cap the Crap,” a campaign to call out these industry lies and show support for the proposed pollution cap on the oil and gas sector — the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. The stakes are too high, and our quality of life, our safety and our future is too valuable to be sold off through slick ad campaigns and fear-mongering.  We must go further than the basic regulations announced yesterday. 

A breakdown of Canada’s emissions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sector (2022). Source:  Greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada: executive summary 2024

A Disturbing Pattern

The Alberta government has long acted as the fossil fuel industry’s loudest cheerleader and with “Scrap the Cap,” Premier Smith is pouring $7 million into spreading misleading claims about the federal emissions cap, instead of addressing the real issues facing Albertans. It’s a blatant attempt to stoke fear of job losses and rising costs while distracting from the truth: without capping emissions and taking bold climate action, everyday people will pay the price for environmental and economic chaos.

This isn’t just about Alberta. These climate denial tactics are part of a broader, worrying trend across Canada, prompting politicians of all stripes to cave to the fossil fuel industry’s misinformation. 

In British Columbia’s recent election, the newly resurrected Conservative Party of BC pedalled climate denial to exploit economic anxieties, while BC NDP Leader David Eby, who reclaims his role as premier, pledged to repeal the carbon tax. 

Nationally, the Trudeau government keeps stalling Clean Electricity Regulations, and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre’s “Axe the Tax” slogan uses climate action as a scapegoat for economic struggles, instead of addressing the real causes of the cost of living crisis. 

We’re witnessing the rise of a movement that doesn’t just deny climate science — they are deliberately working to undermine policies that would secure our future.

Corporate Power vs. Democracy  

Big Oil’s fingerprints are all over these campaigns. Multi-billion-dollar fossil fuel companies are desperate to continue making record profits, and they’re willing to spend whatever it takes to protect their bottom line, even as their recklessness worsens floods and fires that devastate communities and cost trillions. Their playbook is predictable: inundate the public with misinformation, sow doubt about climate science, and frame climate action as a threat to jobs and affordability. 

When governments side with corporate interests, they damage far more than the climate. They erode the entire social contract and deepen the divide between the public and those in power. Politics becomes a rigged game where the voices of the few, who are backed by the deepest pockets, drown out real concerns of the many. This, understandably, leaves people feeling powerless. When public needs are sacrificed to make way for corporate profits, people become more disillusioned and disengaged with our democratic processes. 

It’s Time to “Cap the Crap” 

We can’t afford to counter one misleading campaign at a time. We need to put forward a bold vision that serves the interests of the people.

An emissions cap is a necessary starting point, but it’s not enough. With a clean energy transition, there’s a lot to gain. We could create hundreds of thousands of new energy jobs and create new employment opportunities retrofitting homes, building mass transit and improving community resilience. 

If billionaires and corporations paid their fair share, it would generate $98 billion a year to spend on affordable homes, schools, public transit and other essential services we all need.  A recent report from Clean Energy Canada found that reducing our reliance on fossil fuels through energy-efficiency retrofits, heat pumps, and electric vehicles would help the average Canadian save up to $900 a month on household bills.

"Cap the Crap" is more than a catchy slogan — it’s a call to action. It’s a demand for truth in a time of pervasive lies, for climate justice in the face of denial, and for a government that serves its people, not corporate interests. 

The stakes are too high to settle for anything less. We need to cut through the noise and make our message more powerful than Big Oil’s money. That means organizing, mobilizing and demanding more from our leaders than the same stale promises. It’s time to fight for a future that works for all of us — not just the fossil fuel elite.

Amara Possian is Canada's team lead at 350.org who uses digital tools to engage and mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to win on climate issues and change governments.