Vote NO to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

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Dear councillor,

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a painful wakeup call about the critical need for energy security around the world. Yet some activists are doubling down on the misguided notion that now is the time to rein in Canada’s world class oil and gas sector, even as our European allies remain reliant on Russia’s energy.

This is playing out now in the City of Ottawa, where a campaign to endorse activist Tzeporah Berman’s Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty recently kicked off, a movement that could severely damage Canada’s potential to be a catalyst for real, measurable global emissions reductions as well as helping nations around the world reduce reliance on oil and gas from tyranny states like Russia.

The timing of this movement couldn’t be worse.

Energy security has become a critical global issue over the last few months, with Europe facing an energy crisis due to its over-reliance on renewables and Russia’s strategic bottlenecking of natural gas to fill that void.

Canada can help reduce the world’s reliance on resources from energy-producing nations with poor human rights records, but that means developing our industry in a responsible way, which is exactly what these activists oppose.

Earlier this year, the head of the International Energy Agency praised Canada for its commitment to being an energy supplier that not only talks the talk, but walks the walk when it comes to reducing its own emissions.

“Canada has been a cornerstone of global energy markets, a reliable partner, for years,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said.   
“We will still need oil and gas for years to come… I prefer that oil is produced by countries… like Canada who want to reduce the emissions of oil and gas.”

Here is just a sample of what Canada is doing and how it can be a real solution to reducing global emissions without gutting its world-class oil and gas industry, and destroying the Canadian economy:
·	Much of the world remains reliant on coal, with 195 new coal plants under construction globally, according to Global Energy Monitor. Clean burning Canadian natural gas can help displace that need. For China alone, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gas, switching power generation from coal to natural gas from Canada specifically could reduce emissions by up to 62%.
·	Major oil sands producers have jointly committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and emissions intensity in the oil sands decreased by 27% from 2013 to 2019, compared to just a 13% decrease for other major global oil producers, according to BMO Capital Markets. Canada’s oil sands represents two-thirds of all domestic oil production and 97% of our proven oil reserves.
·	Canadian oil and gas companies spend an average of $1 billion per year on energy cleantech and billions on environmental protection, significantly outpacing any other industry in the country. In 2019 alone, Canada’s oil and gas producers spent $3.1 billion on environmental protection.
·	Canada ranks number one among the world’s top oil reserve holders for environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, according to BMO Capital Markets. ESG measures a variety of metrics including greenhouse gas emissions, water use, Indigenous engagement, worker safety, diversity and inclusion, and regulatory processes. 

The global need for oil and gas will remain strong for many decades to come, both at home and globally and if Canada isn’t one of those supplying resources, that demand will be met by nations like Russia that lack Canada’s rigorous standards and freedoms.
Please vote no to this ill-considered treaty and choose instead to support the responsible development of Canada’s peerless oil and gas industry that can and will set the standard for the rest of the world.

Respectfully submitted,
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