Canada has set the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Oil sands companies Cenovus Energy and MEG Energy have announced their intention of achieving the same objective by mid-century, demonstrating that Canada’s most emissions-intensive industry believes it can adapt to a low-carbon future.
The Alberta-based industry’s leadership, however, is riddled with climate deniers, climate laggards, and climate policy opponents. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has never explicitly acknowledged the severity of global warming, never embraced carbon pricing, and consistently calls for climate regulations to be watered down or eliminated.
As the Texans are wont to say, this is a “coming to Jesus” moment for Alberta.