A province-wide Alberta wetland policy should ensure that wetlands are protected proactively. This backgrounder documents how this can be done.

In 2011 the Pembina Institute released Solving the Puzzle — our report outlining 19 policy solutions for responsible oilsands development. Here we evaluate progress to 2013 on implementing the solutions presented in that report.

Alberta’s Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (SGER) is due for renewal in 2014, and the Government of Alberta is currently considering revisions to the regulation. A stronger SGER would help Alberta reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance social license to operate for sectors, such as the oilsands, that face continued scrutiny of environmental performance.

This briefing note outlines the Pembina Institute's perspective on how Alberta needs to strengthen its greenhouse gas regulations.

Research and recommendations for an energy transition plan for the City of Edmonton.

Alberta burns more coal for electricity than the rest of Canada combined. Unfortunately, coal produces more pollution than any other source of electricity. This report explores the full costs — including the health and climate impacts — of this "cheap" source of power for Alberta, and makes policy recommendations that could help the province transition to viable, healthier alternatives. 

Carbon pricing is increasingly being implemented around the world as policymakers seek to drive innovation and cut greenhouse gas emissions at lowest cost. In this report, we explore the details of these systems in Alberta, British Columbia, California, Australia, Norway, and the European Union. 

This report examines some common claims about the environmental performance of oilsands producers and the environmental impacts of oilsands production.

A group of leading companies engaged with the Pembina Institute in 2012 to review the history of renewable energy activity in the oil and gas sector, share experiences, extract the opportunities, barriers and enablers, and draw some conclusions for how to move this area forward.

This backgrounder features new analysis showing that producing enough bitumen to fill the Keystone XL pipeline would lead to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and inhibit Canada’s ability to meet its climate targets.

The Energy Efficiency (EE) Check pilot project is a demonstration of an innovative approach for supporting energy efficiency retrofits for large buildings and smaller and mid-size industrial facilities.

This backgrounder provides an overview of how oilsands production and expansion contributes to greenhouse gas pollution and climate change.

A joint federal and provincial review panel will conduct hearings this fall into a proposal to expand Shell Canada’s Jackpine oilsands mine. The Pembina Institute is opposing the project as a member of the Oil Sands Environmental Coalition (OSEC), which includes the Alberta Wilderness Association and the Fort McMurray Environmental Association, and is represented by Ecojustice.

The Pembina Institute's concerns about the proposed Jackpine mine expansion include impacts to wildlife, wetlands and forests, air quality, acid deposition, water use and climate change.

Pembina Institute assesses how the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan delivers on key issues of concern relating to water, air and land impacts. We’ve evaluated the final LARP against the solutions presented in our Solving the Puzzle report (released in 2011) noting three categories: Substantial Progress, Work in Progress, Lack of Progress.

The combination of electricity sources — and therefore the qualities and characteristics of the electricity system — depend on where we live in the country.

This report looks at the extent to which oilsands production and exports are affecting Canada’s economy, and explores the longer-term economic implications of increased reliance on oilsands expansion to support economic growth and generate public revenue.

Environment Canada is being pressured to allow existing coal plants in Canada to operate unabated until they reach 50 years of age, while softening future emissions targets. Combined, these backward steps could reduce the overall effectiveness of the regulations by more than half over their first fifteen years.

The very clear distinctions between the GHG intensities of 'natural bitumen' (from oilsands) and most conventional crudes supports the EU fuel-quality directive proposal to assign a higher emissions value to natural bitumen.

This backgrounder explains the details of a proposed European Union fuel-quality directive and outlines the potential implications for Canada’s oilsands sector and overall efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels.

This report provides a detailed evaluation of Alberta's current regulations and financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, and identifies key opportunities for the Government of Alberta to strengthen its approach to climate change.

This report highlights the environmental risks associated with the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry more than half a million barrels of raw oilsands crude oil (known as bitumen) daily across important salmon-bearing rivers, coastal rainforests, and sensitive marine waters in British Columbia.