Canada’s oilsands sector is planning a substantial increase in production in the years ahead. Companies have proposed significant new pipeline and rail projects to accommodate this projected growth, but Canada's current environmental policies are not strong enough to ensure that the cumulative impacts of current and future oilsands production remain below science-based limits. This backgrounder provides the Pembina Institute's perspective on new oilsands transportation initiatives.
Oilsands Transportation InfrastructurePembina Institute Perspective
Related Publications
Waiting to Launch 2023 mid-year update Oilsands profits remain high, but companies are putting the brakes on energy transition spending, with no new investment in reducing emissions
Publication
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By Scott MacDougall
The Pembina Institute’s third update to its Waiting to Launch report provides an analysis of efforts by members of oilsands consortium, the Pathways Alliance, to reduce their carbon emissions. Companies made no new investments in reducing emissions.
Options to cap and cut oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions Submission to Environment and Climate Change Canada
Publication
Sept. 29, 2022-
By Janetta McKenzie, Scott MacDougall, Jan Gorski, Eyab Al-Aini
This submission outlines the Pembina Institute’s comments and recommendations to the Government of Canada on its two proposed options to cap oil and gas emissions. Oil and gas production remains Canada’s largest source of emissions, and unlike some other industrial sectors, its emissions have continued to grow in recent years — by 19% between 2005 and 2019. To do its fair share, Canada’s oil and gas sector must also reduce its emissions by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030.
Waiting to Launch The gap between Canadian oilsands companies’ climate pledges and actions
Publication
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Canadian oil and gas companies’ free cashflow is estimated to reach $152 billion in 2022. This is the highest level of profits the industry has ever seen. However, for the first time, this boom is not being accompanied by new projects in Alberta’s oilsands sector, or a significant expansion of jobs. It is also not being invested in decarbonization efforts to align with the emissions reduction pledges of the Pathways Alliance, an industry grouping formed in 2021.