April 21, 2011

Environmental Defence Canada today released a report that claims that Enbridge is "the largest shipper of tar sands oil and responsible for moving more carbon pollution than entire countries the size of France." 
 
This is a baseless attack on Enbridge, using misleading information and we are countering the report's claims with media and our stakeholders.
 
We don’t ship emissions – we transport energy, and supplying this energy is Enbridge’s number one social responsibility. We make no apology for that, and we are justifiably proud of our reputation as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies.
 
The world runs on energy - it supports the well-being of millions of people. It provides warmth and light, allows people to travel from one place to another, and enables the manufacture of many of the vital and useful things society uses for education, health-care, communication, and countless other positives. Enbridge’s direct emissions total approximately 1.75 million tonnes of GHGs – not the vastly inflated number claimed in this report. And we are actively reducing those emissions. In fact, our 2009 Canadian direct emissions were 23 per cent below 1990 levels.
 
Enbridge is already investing in the transition to alternative energy sources. We have substantial and expanding interests in renewable and alternative energy.  Over the past 18 months we’ve invested more than $1.4 billion in wind and solar projects, and anticipate around $6 billion in green energy opportunities over the next five to ten years.  However, it may take several decades to develop enough renewable energy to meet global demand – and in the meantime we need to focus on safe, reliable and responsible transportation of existing fuels, and Enbridge is doing that.
 
In 2009 we transported 891 million barrels of hydrocarbons, with a safety record better than 99.999%. That’s a powerful demonstration of our commitment to safety.
 
As our CEO, Patrick Daniel, has said - Northern Gateway is Canada’s energy crossroads: an opportunity to build for the future, and provide jobs and prosperity for future generations of Canadians. The West Coast is the Gateway to nearly half the world’s population. It provides access for landlocked Canadian resources to large and growing markets.
 
This is about Canada going global as a reliable, ethical energy superpower - opening new markets, creating new jobs, and prosperity for generations of Canadians. Our energy reserves are potentially a tremendous strategic advantage for Canada, but only if we choose to develop and make them available to the rest of the world.