Pembina reacts to European fuel directive

CALGARY — Amin Asadollahi, oilsands director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the European Commission’s proposed Fuel Quality Directive:

“The latest proposed Fuel Quality Directive from the European Commission removes emission values assigned to different types of crude oil. If this proposal is adopted, the directive will have lost its original purpose. It will have little influence on the actions of other countries and corporations that seek to supply fuels to the European Union.

“Regardless of whether or not the latest proposal is adopted, the fact remains that crude from the oilsands is a high-carbon-intensity fuel source. Moreover, the sector’s emissions intensity has not improved significantly over the past decade, even as overall production and emissions continue to grow.

“The Canadian Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development also issued a report today, confirming that the federal government has failed to implement policies to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector.

“The oilsands are Canada's fastest-growing source of emissions, and the main reason why we are not on track to meet our climate targets. Canada’s oilsands sector remains exposed to actions by other countries seeking to limit the use of high-carbon-intensity fuels. That will be the case until we implement credible policies that directly address emissions from the oilsands.”

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