POLLUTING EDUCATION The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada

This executive summary, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and For Our Kids in February 2025, outlines recommendations to remove the influence of the oil and gas industry from K–12 climate-related education in Canada. The authors argue that a conflict of interest exists when the industry driving the climate crisis influences how children learn about the environment, and they call for the establishment of climate education as a public good funded and managed by government bodies rather than third-party corporate interests.

• The report identifies a fundamental conflict of interest when the fossil fuel industry is involved in educating children about the environment, as the industry has a vested interest in continuing to sell products that drive climate change.
• The authors recommend that the federal government develop a National Framework for Environmental Learning that aligns youth education with Canada's international commitments, such as the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC, and requires all consultants on climate education policy to declare conflicts of interest.
• To reduce reliance on third-party providers, the federal government is urged to fund a climate change education program under the Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada to support teacher training, resource creation, and curricula development in partnership with provinces.
• Provincial Ministries of Education are encouraged to prohibit commercial advertising and sponsorship activities by the oil and gas industry in schools to protect children's health and well-being.
• The report proposes strict regulations for third-party education providers, including a prohibition on providing resources if they have ties to the oil and gas industry and a requirement to publicly disclose corporate funders.
• Recommendations for provincial ministries include establishing advisory committees to identify gaps in climate teaching, reforming curricula to integrate climate justice across all subjects, and removing textbooks containing misleading or inaccurate information.
• School boards are encouraged to take local leadership by declaring climate emergencies, implementing climate action plans (such as shifting to electric buses and plant-based diets), and establishing their own vetting processes to block fossil-fuel funded resources.

APA

Keary, A., & Chesnut, J. (2025). POLLUTING EDUCATION The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Recommendations-Summary_Polluting-Education-The-Influence-of-Fossil-Fuels-on-Childrens-Education-in-Canada.pdf

Chicago

Keary, Anne, and Jennifer Chesnut. POLLUTING EDUCATION The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2025. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Recommendations-Summary_Polluting-Education-The-Influence-of-Fossil-Fuels-on-Childrens-Education-in-Canada.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Keary |first1=Anne |last2=Chesnut |first2=Jennifer |title=POLLUTING EDUCATION The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=February 2025 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Recommendations-Summary_Polluting-Education-The-Influence-of-Fossil-Fuels-on-Childrens-Education-in-Canada.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{keary2025polluting, author = {Keary, Anne and Chesnut, Jennifer}, title = {{POLLUTING EDUCATION The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Recommendations-Summary_Polluting-Education-The-Influence-of-Fossil-Fuels-on-Childrens-Education-in-Canada.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }