Canadian oil sands compound their image problem

Emission pledges are being rolled back to counter adverse economic conditions, reinforcing a sense the sector is not serious about lowering its carbon footprint

The Canadian oil industry simply cannot shake the ‘dirty oil’ tag. The problem has contributed to an exodus of IOCs from Alberta’s oil sands, a growing financial boycott and opposition to new pipeline projects. In May, US presidential challenger Joe Biden vowed to kill Canadian midstreamer TC Energy’s 830,000bl/d Keystone XL pipeline project if victorious in November. "I have been against Keystone from the beginning,” Biden told a TV news interview. “It is tar sands that we do not need—that in fact is very, very high pollutant.” Critics point to rapidly rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the oil sands industry making it all but impossible for Canada to meet its Paris Agreement pledge