The head of the UN says oil and gas ads should be banned. Where does Canada stand?

The head of the United Nations this week called for the end of fossil fuel advertising — an international twist on an existing domestic fight.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech Wednesday in New York that some in the oil and gas industry have "shamelessly greenwashed" their activities.

"Many governments restrict or prohibit advertising for products that harm human health, like tobacco. Some are now doing the same with fossil fuels," he said.

That's the approach advocated by NDP MP Charlie Angus, who has put forward a private member's bill that would ban "misleading, deceptive" fossil fuel advertising. The bill would outlaw marketing that downplays climate-altering emissions and health hazards associated with the industry, or promotes fossil fuels in ways that are false, misleading or deceptive. Those found to have violated the proposed law could be subject to fines or imprisonment.

The bill falls outside what's known as the order of precedence and is unlikely to come up for debate in the House of Commons.

"We see the oil and gas sector in Canada is becoming increasingly provocative and defiant," Angus told CBC's The House. "They aren't doing their part. They have no intention of doing their part. And they know they're burning the planet — they've known all along."

California, itself a major oil and gas producer, filed a lawsuit last year alleging that oil companies have deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels and seeking a compensation fund to pay for future damage caused by climate-related disasters in the state.

"So, a simple solution is what we did with big tobacco. Say, 'No, these are actually threats to human health, what you're promoting. You're not offering solutions. And so you have to come clean,'" Angus told host Catherine Cullen.

Angus also dismissed claims that the law would result in jail time for offenders.

"We use the same language [as anti-tobacco advertising laws] and I don't think we've ever seen any tobacco executives jailed," he said.

In Canada, Pathways Alliance — a consortium of major Canadian oil companies — and Enbridge are under investigation by the Competition Bureau over claims made in ads about their environmental records. Pathways has said it disagrees with the allegations, first advanced by Greenpeace. Enbridge told CBC earlier this year it would cooperate with the bureau.

Pathways Alliance did not respond to a request for comment about the UN call for an advertising ban.

Angus's bill has faced substantial pushback from conservatives across the country and the oil and gas industry. The federal Conservatives say the bill should be defeated; party leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to repeal "all Trudeau/NDP anti-energy laws and unleash Canadian energy for our people and the world."

In response to Guterres' speech, the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said advertising is "one way we can reach Canadians to ensure they are informed of the progress their oil and natural gas industry is making on these critical matters."