On November 3, ConocoPhillips Canada became the newest member of the Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero alliance. The Pathways initiative was established with the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil sands operations by 2050.

“Meeting the world’s energy demand during a transition to a lower-carbon future requires an approach that recognizes the need to reduce emissions, operate responsibly and offer competitive returns,” said ConocoPhillips Canada President Bij Agarwal. “We are excited to partner collaboratively with other alliance members and governments to accelerate efforts to bring about meaningful emissions reductions. We are fully committed to putting our ESG leadership into action by investing in the advancement of transformational opportunities.

“At ConocoPhillips, we understand the need for sustainable operations, and we see ESG excellence as a foundational principle. We have long recognized the importance of addressing sustainability issues including climate change and we continue to look for opportunities to address climate-related risk.” 

“Climate change is a critical challenge and that’s why we are working to be part of the solution,” said ConocoPhillips Canada Vice President of Health, Safety and Environment & Sustainable Development James Makowecki. “We are excited to be part of this alliance as it develops an actionable approach to address emissions, while also preserving the oil sands’ contribution to Canada’s economy.”

The alliance, which includes Canadian Natural Resources, Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips Canada, Imperial, MEG Energy and Suncor Energy, operates facilities representing about 95 per cent of Canada’s oil sands production. Its goal is to work collectively with the federal and Alberta governments to help Canada meet its climate goals, including its Paris Agreement commitments and 2050 net zero aspirations, by eliminating 68 megatonnes of annual oil sands production emissions in three phases over the next three decades.

Alliance members are currently developing detailed project plans for Phase 1 that will address approximately 22 megatonnes of annual emissions between 2021 and 2030, starting with feasibility studies for a CO₂ transportation line and hub as well as pre-engineering work for capturing carbon at multiple oil sands facilities.

“We’re extremely pleased to have ConocoPhillips Canada join our alliance, which now represents companies from almost all of Canada’s major oil sands facilities,” said Pathways Director Al Reid in the November 3 media release. “Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and having their global and Canadian oil sands expertise makes our alliance even stronger, adding to our efforts to achieve net zero GHG emissions from our operations by 2050.”

For more information on Pathways and to stay informed on its progress, visit oilsandspathways.ca.