Climate change action, economic benefits of oil industry, ‘not mutually exclusive,’ CAPP says
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Industry association says both can be achieved, as Paris conference looms
CALGARY—A united commitment to technology and innovation can make Canada a world leader on climate action, even while it continues to develop its oil and natural gas sector, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has said.
“Our industry shares the concern of many Canadians about climate change – and Canadians can count on us to do our part for Canada,” Tim McMillan, CAPP president and CEO said Nov. 20, as the much-anticipated 2015 Paris Climate Conference inches closer.
“Our industry developed the technology to get the oil out of the sand, and we will develop the technology to take carbon out of the barrel. We know we can do more and we will do more,” he added.
The association, which represents oil and gas producers across the country, says both innovation and effective public policies are key in the fight to reduce emissions while continuing to grow Canada’s oil and gas sector to create jobs and sustain a “robust” economy.
“Future action on climate change by industry and governments rests on a strong foundation, and together we will build on it aggressively,” McMillan said. “The ingenuity of the engineers working in Canada’s oil and gas sector is world class, and the technologies they develop for use here at home can be exported to countries with less environmental expertise.”
CAPP pointed to an Environment Canada report that showed emissions per barrel of oil produced in Canada’s oilsands is down 30 per cent from 1990 levels.
“Producers are also investing more than $1.2 billion on 814 technologies and best practices through Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance to find innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gases, minimize impact on land, reduce water use and improve tailings management,” the organization said.
As McMillan prepares to represent Canada’s oil industry in Paris, he noted “environmental protection, including action on climate change, and the economic benefits from our oil and natural gas resources are not mutually exclusive.”
“Both can be achieved. That’s the message I intend to bring to Paris,” McMillan said.
