Simon Dyer, Oilsands Program Director with the Pembina Institute, made the following comments in response to the Canadian Energy Research Institute's new report, "Oilsands Industry Update: Production Outlook and Supply Costs 2009-2043":
"CERI has projected a return to rapid and accelerating growth in oilsands production in Alberta, growth that the Government of Alberta remains unprepared to responsibly manage. It forecasts a return to business-as-usual growth that has significant negative impacts on Albertans' quality of life and environment.
"Unfortunately, the analysis fails to adequately consider carbon prices or other policies that would achieve sufficient reductions in greenhouse gas pollution. In addition, it ignores the prospect of other environmental impact limits that will likely face the industry, such as constraints on water use or impacts to the boreal forest.
"A recent Pembina Institute/David Suzuki Foundation study found that Alberta could contribute its fair share of Canadian greenhouse gas pollution reductions while still leading the nation in economic growth, creating 133,000 net new jobs and increasing oilsands production on the order of 50 per cent while deploying carbon capture technology.
"The Government of Alberta needs to urgently signal to the oilsands industry that a new approach to ensuring a responsible pace and scale of growth will be taken, or else we will quickly find ourselves once again experiencing the overheated, unsustainable conditions of recent years."
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The Pembina Institute is a non-partisan sustainable energy think tank.
Contact:
Simon Dyer
Oilsands Program Director
The Pembina Institute
Cell: 403-322-3937
simond@pembina.org
