We are currently experiencing a major climate crisis. Meanwhile, some of our most prestigious festivals, such as the Francofolies de Montréal and the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, count among their main sponsors companies whose practices do not respect the environment and violate recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
There seems to be a real contradiction between the choice of sponsors for our biggest festivals and the City of Montreal’s efforts in recent years to bring about real ecological change in the metropolis.
Various sources of support
Here are some glaring examples:
- A General Motors sport utility vehicle (SUV) stands proudly in the heart of the Francofolies de Montréal site, despite the fact that this type of vehicle is responsible for 50% of Quebec’s increase in greenhouse gases.
- TD Bank’s logo is proudly displayed as the Francos’ main partner, despite the fact that this institution is among the ten global banks investing heavily in fossil fuels, despite the IPCC’s formal recommendation to exit this polluting industry.
- Finally, the example of Rio Tinto, ranked among the ten most polluting companies in Quebec and playing the role of main partner of the Montreal Jazz Festival.
Various groups advocate creating legislation that would ban automobile companies from advertising and sponsoring events, just as the Tobacco Act prohibits such practices for the tobacco industry.
The festivals then found other sources of support. Passing a similar ban on car companies, for example, would be entirely doable with strong leadership from our governments. We saw a concrete example of this in France, where fossil fuel advertising was banned in 2022.
The city of Montréal
Could the City of Montreal play a more proactive role in this area, putting its expertise and leadership into practice? The city of Amsterdam, which has banned advertising for petrol cars on buses, the subway and city signs, could serve as an inspiration.
As the main sponsor and by authorizing the use of public spaces, could the city not regulate the advertising and/or sponsorship of the events it sponsors? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to establish a sponsor selection policy to guide the selection of partners for subsidized events?
This would allow the City of Montreal to make a positive impact and promote environmental values in line with its green transition goals.
It is time to rethink our approach and find creative solutions to ensure festivals are financially viable while making consistent commitments to meet the climate crisis.
Photo from Facebook: Pink on Green – Krystel M. Papineau
Krystel Marylene Papineau
Environmental Communications Consultant
Montréal