A new report commissioned by an industry lobby group on the federal government’s proposed emissions cap stirred up strong reactions from both oil and gas supporters and environmental groups on Monday.
The report, by S&P Global Commodity Insights, was commissioned by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to examine the impact of various proposed emissions-reducing policies on Canada’s conventional (non-oilsands) oil and gas producers.
Its conclusions Monday were used to support the industry argument that legislating an emissions ceiling will inhibit investment and growth, even as opponents argued the report’s methodology was flawed.
The commissioned report concludes that if oil and gas drillers were required to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, industry could see $75 billion less in capital investment over the course of the next nine years compared with current policy conditions.
This cap means very little if Canada remains a top oil exporter, all the oil that doesn’t get burned here will just be shipped out and burnt elsewhere.
The biggest thing Canada could do for climate change is keep its oil in the ground and stop selling billions of dollars worth every year.
We have an election coming up, and the O&G poster children could get back into power and set us back decades again.