Climate change leadership

Corporate Responsibility

Climate change leadership

Canada’s crude oil and natural gas resources are safely and responsibly developed with world-leading standards, under comprehensive regulatory oversight, emissions regulations and programs, carbon pricing regimes and investments in carbon capture and storage. As the world’s demand for energy increases, there will need to be significant oil and natural gas resources developed to meet demand, and Canada is well-positioned to be a global leader in supplying crude oil and natural gas in a lower carbon energy future.

At Canadian Natural, we believe that strong environmental policy, regulation and performance standards, together with innovation and technology, are necessary for an effective approach to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management. Among the environmental challenges facing industry, governments, and stakeholders, is finding the most effective policies to achieve GHG emissions reductions. Canadian Natural continues to work together with industry, government and other stakeholders to maintain a cost and carbon competitive oil and natural gas sector. As governments develop and implement new GHG emissions laws and regulations, we work to encourage technological innovation, energy efficiency, and targeted research and development while maintaining industry competitiveness.

Canadian Natural supports Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan that incents ongoing innovation and technology investment in the oil and natural gas sector, as well as the federal and provincial goals to reduce methane emissions by 45% by 2025.

Our GHG management strategy

With a strong commitment to continuously reducing GHG emissions intensity, Canadian Natural has developed a pathway to reduce emissions intensity to be below the global crude average. We have taken significant steps to reduce our emissions with an integrated GHG management strategy that involves:

  • Integrating emission reduction in project planning and operations.
  • Leveraging technology to create value and enhance performance.
  • Investing in Research and Development (R&D) and supporting collaboration.
  • Focusing on continuous improvement to drive long-term emissions reductions.
  • Leading in Carbon Capture and Sequestration/Storage (CCS) projects.
  • Engaging proactively in policy and regulation to effectively manage climate risks and opportunities, including trading capacity and offsetting emissions.
  • Considering and developing new business opportunities and trends.

Driving GHG reductions

Our GHG management strategy and focus on effective and efficient operations is delivering results in emissions reductions. We believe that supporting research while developing and adopting innovative technology is the best way to reduce GHG emissions. Leveraging technology and innovation have led to a reduction in Canadian Natural’s GHG emissions intensity of 18% since 2013.

We have also decreased venting volumes by 71% from 2013 to 2017 in our Alberta heavy oil operations, significantly reducing methane emissions.

For more information on our environmental performance, see our 2018 Stewardship Report to Stakeholders.

Pathway to a lower carbon energy future

Canadian Natural has a defined pathway to drive long-term emissions reductions that includes CO2 capture and sequestration/storage, methane reduction projects, natural gas production as a low carbon supply of energy, as well as investment in technology and innovation. Read more about our long-term emission reduction programs driving GHG reductions.