Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for being with us, Mr. Egan. I, too, sincerely appreciate your patience.
The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found that the mitigation measures in the 2030 emissions reduction plan were insufficient to meet Canada’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least 40% below the 2005 level by 2030. The oil and gas sector remains Canada's highest-emitting economic sector, accounting for 28% of total emissions in 2021 compared to 23% in 2005.
When you appeared before the committee in November 2022, you said, “[The] Canadian [natural gas] industry should work with government to map out a strategy to move more energy offshore.”
How can we reconcile your stated goal to move more energy offshore, on the one hand, with the fact that Canada seems to be incapable of meeting its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, on the other?
Moreover, I believe the war in Ukraine has exposed not only Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuel, but also its extreme dependence on fossil fuels in general.
I know some oil and gas companies have started investing in clean energy. Do you think the oil and gas sector should start heading in that direction as of now?