A new report commissioned by an industry lobby group on the federal government’s proposed emissions cap stirred up strong reactions from both oil and gas supporters and environmental groups on Monday.
The report, by S&P Global Commodity Insights, was commissioned by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to examine the impact of various proposed emissions-reducing policies on Canada’s conventional (non-oilsands) oil and gas producers.
Its conclusions Monday were used to support the industry argument that legislating an emissions ceiling will inhibit investment and growth, even as opponents argued the report’s methodology was flawed.
The commissioned report concludes that if oil and gas drillers were required to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, industry could see $75 billion less in capital investment over the course of the next nine years compared with current policy conditions.
To hear oil barons tell it, only oil and gas losses count. Billions lost due to climate change don’t count.
Makes sense. They only count their money. Though, they also see the rest of us as temporary stores of their money, so they don’t want that going to climate related issues, either.