Representatives of the oil industry, environmental groups and indigenous communities will form a panel to examine how the oilsands can meet targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reports Canadian Press.
The government of the oil-producing province of Alberta has created the panel to help industry meet a 100-megatonne cap on emissions that contribute to climate change. This sector contributes roughly one-quarter of the province’s total annual emissions, states the government.
Other environmental concerns
The panel will also look at ways to address other environmental concerns. Extracting bitumen from oilsands requires large quantities of water and lays waste to huge tracts of land which have become death traps for some migratory birds.
Leading the panel will be David Collyer, a former head of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. Melody Lepine of the Mikisew Cree First Nation and Tzeporah Berman, an environmental activist and professor of environmental studies will be co-chairs.
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