Calgary, AB – Investing in innovation and continuing to improve environmental performance is an imperative that the oil sands industry fully embraces. Since Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) was formed in 2012, industry members have invested a total of $1.8 billion in these efforts.
In 2020, 233 active projects were underway at a total investment of $531 million in our four Environmental Priority Areas: Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), Land, Tailings and Water.
In all, COSIA members have supported a total of 1,143 contributed clean technologies since 2012. Some of these successes are highlighted in our 2020 Annual Report Innovative solutions for sustainable oil.
Harnessing the power of collaboration from across Canada and around the world has allowed COSIA to tackle tough challenges in the oil sands, including emissions reduction, through innovation. These efforts are paying off, improving and shortening the trajectory of sustainable oil sands development.
In bringing together leading thinkers from industry, government, academia and the wider public to develop, test, and implement clean technologies, COSIA makes it possible for industry to go farther faster to address climate-related risks and minimize environmental impact, while also meeting global energy demand. Year over year, COSIA and its members continue to make gains in environmental performance as our annual Performance Numbers show.
COSIA Chief Executive Wes Jickling says that Canada’s oil sands have a long track record of clean technology innovation that continues to move the needle. “One question I’m frequently asked in conversation is: ‘Can the oil sands be part of a low-carbon future in Canada?’ My answer is always, ‘yes, absolutely,’” Jickling says. “This work of enhancing the sustainability of one of Canada’s major natural resources, while enabling economic opportunity has never been as important as it is now – as Canada looks to embark on a sustainable recovery.”
Some examples of the innovation that takes place through COSIA include:
About COSIA:
Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is a unique alliance of oil sands producers focused on accelerating environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands. COSIA enables collaboration and innovation between thinkers from industry, government, academia and the wider public to improve measurement, accountability and performance in the oil sands across our environmental priority areas of greenhouse gases, land, water and tailings. COSIA members search the world for solutions to our toughest problems. And we have some of the best minds on the planet working on technologies to enable further responsible and sustainable development.
Visit COSIA at www.cosia.ca. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contact
Jo Moss, Senior Specialist, Communications and Content, COSIA
Phone: 403.399 4215
E-mail: media@cosia.ca