The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, May 21, edition that Canadian crude producers face increasingly tough competition in the Asia-Pacific market, warn officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The Globe's Shawn McCarthy writes that the warning contrasts with the more optimistic market outlook that buttressed the National Energy Board's conclusion that the benefits of Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain expansion outweighed the burdens, and that therefore the project is in the national interest.
The Environment Canada report notes that OPEC producers and Russia are competing aggressively to supply Chinese demand.
In an effort to strengthen the regulatory approval process for pipelines, the Grits added an Environment Canada review to determine to what degree the added pipeline capacity would generate more greenhouse gas emissions from expanding oil sands production in Alberta.
The Liberals have not laid out a strict "climate test" that would result in the rejection of any project that added substantially to Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, the GHG assessment will be one factor that cabinet will consider in deciding whether to approve Kinder's project.
© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.