Canada Environment Minister: 'No Apologies' for Oil Sector Support
Canada's top climate change official on Thursday said she would make no apologies for the nation's support for its oil producers, saying environmental and economic policies must consider the needs of all Canadians.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has sought to cast Canada as a global leader in combating climate change, particularly since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington's support for an international deal to curb global warming.But Trudeau's government is also seeking to expand the country's oil industry. Canada agreed in May to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline for $3.46 billion (C$4.5 billion) to save a controversial expansion of the line…
Canada Mulls Single Body to Assess Pipelines
Canada needs a single federal authority to assess the potential impact of major projects such oil pipelines and mines, a move that could help quell environmental protests, an official panel said on Wednesday. Responsibility for examining the potential impact of projects on federally-regulated land in Canada is shared between three separate entities, a much-criticised system that the Liberal government says the public does not trust. Protracted protests last year forced Ottawa to veto one major pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific Coast and are dragging out study of another line to the Atlantic.
Woodfibre LNG project Approved with conditions
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna imposed numerous conditions on the project, including restrictions related to construction in or near fish habitat and additional consultation with Aboriginal groups, among other things. Woodfibre LNG, backed by Indonesian billionaire Sukanto Tanoto's RGE Group, hopes to build its LNG export terminal outside the city of Squamish, north of Vancouver. The company has not yet made a final investment decision on the project.
Petronas Moving toward FID on Canada LNG Project
Malaysian oil and gas firm Petronas said on Wednesday it was still moving towards a final investment decision on a proposed liquefied natural gas project in Canada, following a newspaper report that it was threatening to walk away from the project. "Petronas, through its subsidiary Pacific NorthWest LNG, is proactively taking steps to mature the project towards its Final Investment Decision," the state-owned firm said in a statement. Petronas, along with its shareholders, will review the final report by Canada's environmental regulator to determine its impact on the project's cost structure and schedule, it said.
For big business seeking CO2 emissions price, a ray of hope from Paris
For the most part, big business wanted one thing from the climate accord in Paris on Saturday: a price on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. While on the surface their hopes were dashed, looking deeper may give them cause for hope. Multinational companies from oil giant BP to consumer products maker Unilever have called for a globally agreed way of pricing emissions of CO2 - the gas most widely blamed for global warming - to create an incentive for power plants and factories to shift to cleaner forms of energy. That is opposed by big oil exporting countries such as Saudi Arabia as well as others, such as Bolivia, reluctant to embrace any market-based solutions.
Canada Climate Push Spells Uncertainty for Oil Sands
Canada's newly elected government is committed to being a strong ally in global efforts to curb climate change, but it is unclear yet what that will mean for its vast oil patch, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna said on Wednesday. "We are committed to moving to a low-carbon economy and we need to look at what that means," McKenna said at a briefing on the sidelines of the U.N. climate conference in Paris. Canada's oil sands are among the largest petroleum reserves in the world, but efforts to expand their production have been stymied by a lack of pipeline capacity, heavy environmental opposition, and a recent slump in oil prices.
Canada PM Tells Minister to Modernize Energy Regulator
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed his natural resources minister to "modernize" Canada's independent pipeline regulator, said a letter released on Friday that gave details on the newly elected leader's environmental plans. Trudeau asked Natural Resources Minister James Carr to ensure the Calgary-based National Energy Board (NEB) has a balanced representation from across the country, as well as sufficient expertise in environmental science, community development and indigenous traditional knowledge. The Liberal prime minister on Friday published all of the mandate letters sent to his cabinet ministers…
