Taking action in support of our vital natural resource sector

A recent series of public opinion polls have found that a majority of Canadians believe our oil and natural gas have a bigger role to play in contributing to global energy security and helping climate action.

According to the polls:

> 72% of Canadians think our country should export more oil and gas so the world can stop buying its energy resources from Russia (SecondStreet via Leger Poll)

> 73% of Canadians believe our liquefied natural gas (LNG) can help improve global energy security and sustainability efforts (Canada Action via Research Co. Poll)

> 55% of Canadians believe our country has a “moral obligation” to help Europe during the energy crisis (Global News via Ipsos Poll)

As the war in Ukraine continues, it’s clear that Canadians are becoming more “energy aware” as turmoil in global commodity markets starts to hit home. Europe’s over-reliance on Russia for its oil and natural gas has since taught Western nations that it absolutely does matter where you source your energy from.

“Developments around alternative energy sources are exciting for consumers, but studies suggest natural gas and oil will be used for decades to come,” said Colin Craig, President of SecondStreet. “Policy makers would be wise to consider the positive role that Canada could play not only in displacing Russian oil and gas, but how the enormous tax revenues from such sales could be used to help develop technology to reduce emissions.”

Additionally, Western economies now see the incredible importance of having stable and responsible supply chains for the natural resources they need. Energy shortages in Europe, for example, have caused major socio-economic instability, forcing millions of Europeans to choose between heating or eating while shutting down some industries altogether.

“Canadians are coming to understand the world will need oil and gas long into the future, and so Canada should continue to play a strong role as a country that respects workers, families and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and that adheres to the strictest environmental, health and safety regulations in the world,” said Cody Battershill, Chief Spokesperson and Founder of Canada Action.

Another Ipsos Poll conducted on behalf of Global News found that most Canadians believe our nation has a “moral obligation” to help Europe during the energy crisis.

“We do see a Canadian public that is wondering whether or not we can support Ukraine, support our European allies, and at the same time (support) that transition towards more renewable, more clean energy sources,” said Gregory Jack, Vice President at Ipsos Public Affairs.

Seventy-six per cent of respondents also supported Canada developing more renewable energy, while two-thirds of Canadians (66%) were in favour of developing more natural gas as well. Nearly half of Canadians (46%) believe that Canada’s inability to build infrastructure has helped Russia exploit Europe’s energy supply.

Canadian Energy is a Force for Good

Home to vast energy reserves, Canada could expand its oil and gas export capabilities to help a world in dire need. However, the challenge of getting more Canadian energy to global markets apart from the United States remains, as several key energy infrastructure projects have been cancelled over the past several years.

In other words, Canada lacks the pipelines and facilities that would allow us to currently export substantially higher quantities of oil and gas to global markets.

Federal natural resources minister Jonathan Wilkinson has said that Canada will export an additional 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day to Europe in light of drastic supply shortages on the continent. But in reality, that’s not much. We can, and should do more.

Way more.

Federal, provincial and municipal governments across our country must be willing to unite under a common understanding that more Canadian energy on international markets is good for domestic prosperity, global energy security and the climate.

Not only is Canada a stable and reliable energy producer, but we also rank the highest on several Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) indices among the world’s top oil and natural gas exporters.

Autocratic regimes are home to most of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies and production. Additionally, global demand for these precious commodities is projected to continue growing for decades yet.

As long as the world needs oil and gas, it should be coming from responsible producers like Canada. As we’ve learned with events in 2022, relying on dictators for our energy does not make the world a better place.

Join Us Today!

Join hundreds of thousands of Canadians online at Facebook, Twitter and YouTube who support our world-class natural resources today! We look forward to having you join our growing community!

72% of #Canadians support the idea of Canada developing and exporting more #oilandgas so the world doesn’t have to buy from Russia. #CdnPoli ⁦@SecondStreetOrg⁩ https://t.co/Z4thdszSid

— Oil Sands Action (@OilsandsAction) October 14, 2022