Canada positioned as a leader in North American accord on climate: CAPP
July 27, 2016 | By MRO Magazine
Canada is a world leader in innovation and technology in the fight against climate change and has improved its competitive position in North America by committing to the North American Climate, Clean Energy, and Environment Partnership with the United States and Mexico.
Canada improved its competitive position by establishing a level playing field on GHG reduction targets with other North American oil and natural gas producers. Canada’s environmental and regulatory stringency on methane emissions meets or exceeds the stringency of Mexico and the United States and we are pleased to see North America’s commitment to the same goals to address climate change through innovation and technology.
Canada’s upstream oil and natural gas industry has long advocated for a North America-wide strategy on methane emissions, and is in a leadership position to collaborate and share technological solutions with Mexico and the United States.
Over the past two decades, the oil and natural gas industry has reduced natural gas flaring by 63 per cent. The Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is an example of a voluntary group of oil sands producers that have invested almost $1.3 billion to develop 819 patents to improve environmental performance.
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers quotes: Tim McMillan, president and CEO of CAPP
- “Canada is a leader in reducing methane emissions in the oil and natural gas sector and we are pleased to see a joint commitment with our North American partners on methane reduction.”
- “Our industry recognizes the opportunity for better performance on methane emissions and has been addressing this by working with regulators and governments to improve performance at new and existing facilities.”
- “Through innovation and the development and application of technology, our industry’s objective is to decrease, over time, greenhouse gas emissions per unit of oil and natural gas produced.”
- “This accord generates new opportunities for low-carbon fuels, such as Canadian natural gas, to supply growing energy needs in a new market.”
Supporting information
- British Columbia and Alberta have regulations on flaring, venting and fugitive emissions from upstream facilities, which serve as models for other jurisdictions.
- In Alberta, environmental regulations cut the amount of natural gas flared by 63 per cent from 1996 to 2014.
- In B.C., new regulations eliminated routine flaring at wells and production facilities this year.
- In addition, industry and the governments of Alberta and B.C. are investigating the feasibility of carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions from the sector.
- In 2012, 13 of Canada’s largest oil sands companies independently formed COSIA. To date, the voluntary commitment of almost $1.3 billion and the work with some of Canada’s top scientists has resulted in more than 800 technologies and innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on water, air and land.
- Canada has more than 100 years of natural gas resources trapped in a competitive North American gas market. Development of Canadian LNG would unlock these resources and stimulate the production of natural gas to displace higher GHG emission fuels.
