Learn more about:

• Our People
• Our Strategy
• Our Successes to date

Our People

Petro-Canada’s climate change strategy is supported by a diverse group of employees, who bring different perspectives and integrated solutions to the table.

The Climate Change Executive Steering Committee is sponsored by President and CEO, Ron Brenneman, and is chaired by senior vice-president, North American Natural Gas, Kathy Sendall. The Committee meets six times a year to receive an update on Petro-Canada’s progress and drive action forward through the Climate Change Working Group.

The Climate Change Working Group meets once a week and is comprised of content experts representing each of the operating and strategic business units of Petro-Canada. These individuals are charged with specific portfolios, such as project management, external mitigation, internal mitigation, data collection, regulatory management, evaluations and planning, and communications.

Our Strategy

Our Principles for Responsible Investment and Operations help us maintain responsible operating practices and minimize our environmental footprint, wherever possible. To that end, Petro-Canada’s strategy focuses on improving environmental quality, while continuing to balance economic interests. The strategy is based on four pillars:

Sound Business Principles
We now include the cost of carbon in all our project evaluations, so that we have the information we need to make sound business decisions for the environment and our Company.

Technology Solutions
We believe that new technology is the best way to address climate change in the long term. We will continue to invest in proven energy efficiency projects and adopt established new technologies in our efforts to reduce our emissions.

Capability Development
We will build an internal culture focussed on efforts to reduce and offset emissions. Through research, training and new technology, we will continue to apply engineering solutions and operating practices that are intended to reduce GHGs and improve energy efficiency.

Reputation Management
We will continue to support actions that demonstrate real solutions to climate change issues and support our overall environmental responsibility. Our strong understanding of the issues and our ability to manage them effectively will be an important part of our communications with stakeholders.

Our Successes to Date

• Currently include the cost of GHG mitigation and carbon intensity reductions and mitigation in all of our business decisions so that internal and external actions intended to reduce GHGs and carbon intensity can be weighed against the economic impact.
  
  
• Participated in Alberta’s first offsets auction in January 2008, with the purchase of 30,000 tonnes CO2e of offsets in a project that is expected to convert waste biomass to energy.
  
  
• Invested $24 million in Iogen Corporation, furthering their initiative to convert waste biomass into ethanol fuel (90% lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline) and continue to support further research and development.
  
  
• Contracted with TransCanada Energy Ltd. to build a co-generation plant to provide electricity and steam at the MacKay River in situ plant.
  
  
• Continue to expand our use and installation of solar powered chemical injection pumps in remote regions of British Columbia.
  
  
• Ongoing implementation of our environmental information management system, which facilitates stewardship and reporting of GHG emissions and primary air pollutants.
  
  
• Purchased two high-tech fugitive emissions cameras for the Edmonton refinery and our North American Natural Gas business, resulting in better detection and subsequent repair of leaks of hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds.
  
  
• Met mandated ethanol requirements in three provinces: Saskatchewan, Ontario and, most recently, Manitoba. Under these mandates, Petro-Canada blends 7.5%, 5% and 8.5% ethanol into gasoline respectively. Additionally, the Company has voluntarily blended up to 10% ethanol into gasoline in the Montreal area through a contract with Commercial Alcohols. Simultaneously, we worked with the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute and the Government of Canada to find a consistent national renewable fuels framework.
  
  
• Ongoing implementation of new energy efficient initiatives in our Petro-Canada convenience stores, including installation of low-energy exterior and interior lights, energy efficient refrigeration and heating, light intensity switches and air handling units, which capture waste heat and recycle it (resulting in 35% to 45% heat recovery).