Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is taking steps every day to protect the planet while providing an essential product in the most responsible manner on earth

You may notice some memes and other images on social media celebrating Earth Day today – chances are, some of these images may even portray Canada’s oil and natural gas industry in a less than positive light. 

So, we thought it would be important to provide a little balance to today’s narrative and highlight the great work that Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is doing every day to protect our environment – initiatives the activists like to ignore. 

As stewards of the environment, Canadians should be proud of the work our industry is doing!

1. Canada’s oil and natural gas industry spends more on environmental protection than any other industry:
• According to Statistics Canada, Canadian businesses reported spending $8.4 billion on environmental protection in 2016 (the latest year for which Statistics Canada has published data). The lion’s share of that spending - $3.7 billion or 44 per cent was by the oil and natural gas industry.
2. The intensity of emissions in Canada’s oil sands is falling:
• According to data from the Government of Canada's 2019 National Inventory Report, Canada's oil sands per barrel greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 32 per cent since 1990.
3. Canadian LNG will help lower global emissions:
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) produced in Canada generates fewer emissions than LNG produced anywhere else in the world and generates significantly less emissions than coal. Exporting Canadian LNG to Asia to help displace coal-fired power plants is the single largest contribution Canada could make in the fight against global emissions.
4. Pipelines are the most environmentally friendly way to transport oil and natural gas:
• According to a study done by a professor at the University of Alberta, for shorter distances rail lines may be more environmentally and economically friendly, but for longer distances pipelines are the best way to transport – so why do activists keep blocking pipelines?

Canada’s oil and natural gas industry operates in one of the strictest regulatory environments in the world -- and is continuously improving all aspects of its environmental operations.  

There are over 500,000 Canadians whose jobs are supported by the oil and natural gas industry, many of whom are strong environmentalists. 

So today, while anti-development groups call for the end of Canada’s largest industry and one of our most important economic drivers, remember that Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is taking steps every day to protect the planet while still providing an essential product in the most responsible manner on earth.

If you support Canadian oil and natural gas and its track record of continuous environmental improvement, let us know by signing the pledge to support Canadian oil and natural gas.

Happy Earth Day ... from Canada’s Energy Citizens