Petroleum producers emphasize the positive
NEW PROGRAM: Industry supporters are being encouraged to talk about energy issues
A new program by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers aims to convince people that an industry employing 500,000 people has some merit.
CAPP represents the companies that explore, develop and produce natural gas and crude oil in Canada. Its members produce about 90 per cent of Canada’s natural gas and crude oil.
The association is encouraging its supporters to become Canada’s Energy Citizens at energycitizens.ca and get talking about energy issues.
The strategy represents a shift for CAPP under new president and CEO Tim McMillan, who took over after working in both health and energy for the government of Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.
Getting B.C. on board with CAPP is critical because of access to Asian markets for oil and natural gas.
“Finding markets outside of Canada is crucial,” said McMillan, who pointed to a 37-per-cent growth in global demand for energy predicted by the International Energy Agency over the next 25 years.
McMillan said Canada can meet part of that need because it’s sitting on the world’s third-largest reserve of oil and gas.
He said the industry, which has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in oilsands production by 30 per cent a barrel since the 1990s, is far more regulated than other producing jurisdictions and thus produces fewer emissions.
“We have an excellent record and an excellent regulatory system,” McMillan said.
McMillan also cited recent polls that suggest 42 per cent of Canadians support energy production compared to 25 per cent who are opposed.
CAPP’s push is toward the 33 per cent who are in the middle of those two camps.
George Hoberg, a resource management specialist at the University of B.C., called CAPP’s plan “a marketing campaign.”
“What a lot of Canadians are frustrated about is the oil and gas industry seems far more interested in improving their marketing and far less interested in improving their performance,” said Hoberg, who teaches in the forestry department. “I think that’s particularly the case with the climate file.
“What a lot of people are looking at is concrete progress on emissions reductions from oilsands production, and that’s just not happening,” Hoberg said.
While acknowledging the industry now uses less water to produce oil from the Alberta sands, Hoberg said the jump in production has resulted in an overall increase in water use.
He also suggested renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal are already providing alternatives to oil and gas.
“The transition to alternatives is absolutely necessary to address the growing climate crisis,” Hoberg said.