Over the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to visit six cities around the world, participating on four panels and sharing Canadas CCS Opportunities with international communities.
My journey began in London at the CCSA’s CCUS 2024 Conference. It was inspiring to hear about the projects underway in the UK and Europe, the collaborative efforts to solve challenges and the collective work being done to drive decarbonization forward. I was also part of a panel focused on moving from PowerPoints to projects. As the token Canadian, I highlighted the over 50 planned projects in Canada, the support of our various levels of government, Alberta’s strong regulatory framework and geologic capacity and capabilities. Despite the progress, challenges remain for projects to reach final investment decisions. We discussed the need for political certainty, the complexities of project economics and the intricacies of the CCUS supply chain.
Following London, I spent a week in Germany, meeting with industry leaders, technology developers and government officials to share Canadas opportunities, regulatory learnings and challenges. In Hamburg, I was invited to be part of an event with Svante, where I shared Canadas leadership in the CCS space.
I then participated on two panels at the Carbon Capture Technology Expo. The first discussion focused on supporting a multi-modal transportation network, spotlighting the Alberta Carbon Trunkline (ACTL), the world’s largest CO2 pipeline. I shared insights on the process, supports, and challenges of CO2 transportation in Canada. The reports shared by the ACTL on the government websites are invaluable for projects moving forward in other jurisdictions. The second panel addressed the regulatory framework needed to support decarbonization. I was able to share the strategy and regulations Canada has in place, and some of the benefits we’ve seen from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction regulations, leading into a lively debate on compliance and voluntary markets and how much CO2 is reasonable to abate in the 2050 timeline.
After a brief pit stop at home to see my family, I was off to Toronto for the DecarbConnect conference where I moderated a panel on Creating Business Certainty around CCS. In conversation with Lafarge, Cabot and Clear Blue Markets, we discussed financial incentives, public support and fostering innovation. Establishing certainty will be essential to major financial investments in decarbonization.
Reflecting on this journey, I’m reminded that while Canada has a strong foundation and ambitious goals for CCS, we face shared challenges with other countries. These global discussions underscored the importance of collaboration, regulatory support, and financial certainty to make CCS projects a reality. As we strengthen Canada’s leadership in CCS, staying connected, learning from others’ successes and hurdles, and pushing innovation will be critical to drive decarbonization forward.