So they never actually meant to hit those targets?

Amaize said another reason corporations may appear to be retreating on their climate targets is a phenomenon she calls "green-hushing." That is, as a result of anti-greenwashing legislation such as amendments to Canada's Competition Act under Bill C-59, some companies might be reluctant to tout their environmental measures for fear of being sued for false claims.

A prominent example is the Pathways Alliance, a consortium of Canada's six biggest oilsands companies, which removed almost all content from its website and social media feeds in June in response to C-59.