Post Event | A Conversation with Hon. Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

On December 9, the Calgary Chamber hosted the Hon. Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas for a keynote address and fireside chat with Calgary Chamber President & CEO, Deborah Yedlin. This discussion covered several topics, including Minister Schulz’s vision for the future of Alberta’s energy industry and what federal barriers businesses in Alberta are currently facing.

Minister Schulz began her remarks by highlighting some of the reasons for optimism in Alberta at the moment. Global energy demand continues to rise, and Alberta’s energy industry is well-positioned to meet the rising demand for clean, reliable and secure energy. Minister Schulz provided details on some of the opportunities available for energy export – to our southern neighbours, and across the world – there is demand for Canadian and Albertan energy. Minister Schulz further discussed the geopolitical concerns that are driving the need for our energy, such as instability in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, emphasizing our energy industry has significant opportunities for growth.

Minister Schulz then discussed some of the burdensome federal policy files that are impeding economic growth across the country. The Minister specifically outlined concerns with the federal Emissions Cap, the Clean Electricity Regulations, Bill C-59 and the Impact Assessment Act, describing their negative impacts on Canadian industry. Minister Schulz discussed the province’s strategy and intention with the use of the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act and provided information on how this legislation will be leveraged in regard to the federal Emissions Cap.

Lastly, Minister Schulz noted the strong record of innovation and efficiency that Alberta’s energy industry holds. Highlighting the success of Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program, the industry’s methane emissions reduction record and the continued decline in emissions per barrel. Furthermore, Minister Shulz noted some key investments that have recently been made in Alberta; the Dow Chemical petrochemical project, Air Products Hydrogen Energy Complex, Heidelberg Materials CCUS facility and the recently announced Alberta Drilling Accelerator test site.

The fireside chat with Calgary Chamber President & CEO, Deborah Yedlin, covered Alberta’s conventional and emerging energy sector, and some top concerns across the Environment and Protected Areas portfolio, including:

• Affordability, and how Alberta’s energy sector can support affordability and prosperity across the country.  
• Concerns with the federal government's suite of regulatory policy, what can be done to advocate for simplicity, and how we can meet our environmental goals while maintaining economic prosperity.  
• Impacts of the recent U.S. election, and what proactive approaches to trade negotiations the province will be championing.  
• Alberta’s own regulatory policy and incentive programs including the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulations, the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program and the Alberta Petrochemical Incentive Program.  
• Water policy, and water treatment at industrial sites, given the drought concerns that Albertans have been facing year over year now.  
• The province’s proposed use of Bitumen Royalty-In-Kind program, and the potential for direct dealings between the Government of Alberta and energy product buyers. 

Minister Schulz closed with a promise to continue advocating for Albertans and Alberta’s energy industry and to ensure that Canadians can meet our environmental goals without sacrificing our economic prosperity.

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Cenovus Energy, our thanking sponsor, Pathways Alliance, and our supporting sponsors,  Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), ConocoPhillips, Enbridge, Imperial Oil, Intact Insurance, MEG Energy, Nutrien, Suncor, Tourmaline Oil and TransAlta.