Page 18 - Suncor 360 - January 2015

16
JAN / FEB 2015
360
FEATURE
The greatest challenge currently facing the energy sector is much larger than the price of oil and much deeper than the success or failure of the Northern Gateway Pipeline.
It’s fear of change.
The prevailing sentiment is that a transition to energy sources other than oil and gas is a massive, almost impossible challenge as opposed to a great opportunity for our country to emerge as a global leader. We need to clear the hurdle of ‘the way we’ve always done it’ and lead the way toward where we’re going.
The shift to a lower carbon energy future won’t be abrupt and monumental. It will happen over time. And it will require a tremendous amount of capital, vision and determination. The sector needs to be open to alternatives and consider how we can use our oil wealth to diversify our portfolio of energy sources and shape a more sustainable energy future.
In a word, the biggest issue facing our energy industry in 2015 is infrastructure. We need the infrastructure to get our valuable resources to global markets in a responsible way.
Currently, we are the only major producer with virtually no access to tide water, and as such are tied to one primary customer – one with an increasing ability to produce its own oil and gas and become a competitor in global markets. The status quo simply isn’t an option. We need to move forward.
Canadian energy can make major contributions on the global stage – as a substitute for coal and in reducing reliance on oil from parts of the world where oil and gas are used as weapons or political tools.
We also have an opportunity to contribute to fighting poverty. Throughout the span of history, there’s been a direct correlation between energy use and the rise of incomes. More prosperous countries
The important thing to remember is that oil companies aren’t oil companies. They’re energy companies. Barrels of oil are simply the means to an end, and that end is the better quality of life that easy access to affordable energy provides. So the energy sector’s most pressing question is “How can we creatively achieve the same outcome with less reliance on fossil fuels?”
KALI TAYLOR • Executive director and one of the founders of Student Energy, a global non-profit focused on creating next generation of energy leaders who understand complexities of the energy system and are committed to transitioning the world to a sustainable energy future
PERRIN BEATTY • President and CEO of the 200,000-member Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Canada’s largest and most representative national business association
consume more energy, and access to energy in turn fuels prosperity. Canada can help reverse the great scourge of poverty so many people in so many countries must endure.
With demand growing around the world, Canada can play an increasing role as an energy supplier, but we need the infrastructure in place to permit us to do so. China, Japan, South Korea...they’re eager to do business with Canada if and when we can supply the energy they need. But it’s important to realize they’re not desperate for Canadian oil and gas. They’re desperate for oil and gas, period. Other producers will be there to supply them if we aren’t.