In 2016, a foreign-based organization financed by foreign-based foundations claimed the anti-pipeline campaign it co-ordinated “played a role in helping to unseat the Conservative Party in Alberta and nationally.”
This finding was among the examples of political activism by environmental groups revealed in the Alberta government’s inquiry into campaigns against the province’s energy sector, released on Oct. 21.
Conducted by forensic accountant Steve Allan, the inquiry found that the campaigns received direction and funding from foreign entities.
The 2016 claim about “unseating the Conservative Party” was made by the U.S.-based NGO Corporate Ethics International, now known as CorpEthics. The posting is no longer available on the organization’s website, but can be found using internet archiving services to look at previous versions of the page.
The posting describes the Tar Sands Campaign launched in 2008 as a strategy to “land-lock the tar sands so their crude could not reach the international market where it could fetch a high price per barrel. This meant national and grassroots organizing to block all proposed pipelines.” It said the strategy has been “successful to this day,” with all proposed pipelines in Canada having been blocked.
The version of the page available today says the campaign “successfully educated citizens about the harmful impact of tar sands expansion to our climate, native forests, and First Nations’ sovereignty,” and says the campaign “successfully persuaded President Obama” to block the Keystone XL pipeline.
The Epoch Times contacted CorpEthics for comment but didn’t hear back.
US Funders
Allan’s report outlines that CorpEthics was the recipient of grants, with most noting in their descriptions that they were destined for the Tar Sands Campaign. The grants came in large part from two major U.S. foundations, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) and the Tides Foundation.Between the two, they granted CorpEthics US$3.13 million between 2007 and 2011, with funds destined for the Tar Sands Campaign or “organizing on dirty fuels.”
The Tides Foundation is described by non-profit Influence Watch as a “major center-left grantmaking organization and a major pass-through funder to numerous left-leaning nonprofits.” Its operating mechanism allows donors to remain anonymous while being allowed to direct money to their preferred causes using “donor advised funds.”
The RBF is one of the various funds held by the well-known Rockefeller family, which made its initial fortune in the oil industry. The foundation’s stated purpose is advancing “social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.”
