Canada’s CNRL sets new emissions reduction targets

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL), a major oil sands and natural gas producer, said November 30 it was targeting a 40% reduction in its absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035, from a 2020 baseline.

The new target is in addition to a 50% reduction in its absolute methane emissions from its North American E&P operations by 2030, from a 2016 baseline.

“We are committed to supporting Canada’s climate goals and continuing to reduce our environmental footprint with our aspirational goal of net zero GHG emissions in the oil sands,” CNRL president Tim McKay said. “We believe Canadian energy is one of the most responsibly produced sources of energy in the world and should be the preferred energy choice.”

CNRL is part of the Pathways Alliance initiative, under which six major oil sands producers intend to invest about C$24.1bn to reduce annual emissions from the oil sands by 22mn metric tons by 2030 and achieve net-zero operations by 2050. The alliance is targeting a suite of technologies to achieve those goals, including a major carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, natural gas decarbonisation and hydrogen use and steam reduction technologies to lower the footprint of thermal in situ recovery operations.

“We have received support from the federal and provincial governments in advancing the Pathways Alliance initiatives, giving Canadian Natural the confidence to progress with an aggressive new GHG emissions reduction target,” McKay said.