Oilsands sector remains under pressure despite silence after greenwashing law: think tank [Video]

Canada’s oilsands industry remains under pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint, even as companies have clamped down on public communications in the wake of new anti-greenwashing legislation.

The Pathways Alliance — a consortium of six companies that have jointly committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from oilsands production — has been largely silent since June, when the federal government passed an amendment to Canada’s Competition Act containing a new anti-greenwashing provision.

But clean energy think tank the Pembina Institute said concerns about the new law shouldn’t prevent Pathways from pulling the trigger on its proposed $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage project.

“(The greenwashing legislation) doesn’t preclude things like announcing final investment decisions on carbon capture projects or emissions reduction projects,” said Matt Dreis, the think tank’s senior oil and gas analyst.

“If we want to be leaders in that sector, we’re going to need to get projects like this across the finish line.”