Innovation hub aims for net-zero future via Canadian cleantech

10/20/22 • 23 min

Soheil Asgarpour is president and CEO of Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC), an innovation hub that leverages industry investments to produce cleantech: technologies that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate environmental impacts to land, water and air. Their key is building collaborative relationships among industry partners, investors, government, academia and cleantech entrepreuneurs, with a focus on solutions that address real market needs.

Energy Examined chats with Asgarpour about the progress PTAC is making on hydrocarbon cleantech, including CCUS, and methane mitigation technologies that could result in close to 90 percent reduction in emissions. He also discusses the importance of finding cost-effective, marketable solutions to improving enviromental performance, and the "moon-shot" but attainable goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Previous Episode

Diversity and inclusion in Canada's oil and natural gas industry

Aimee Sheppard of Cenovus Energy and Kathy Hawkins of InclusionNL discuss the state of diversity and inclusion in Canada's oil and natural gas industry. Sheppard is the senior industrial benefits and diversity advisor with Cenovus Energy in St. John's, Newfoundland; Hawkins is executive director for InclusionNL.

Sheppard recently won an award from Energy NL for her work on inclusion and diversity with Cenovus. Together, she and Hawkins discuss with Energy Examined industry-led initiatives like STEM for Girls and the West White Rose Project Diversity Research Fund, as well as increasing opportunities for traditionally unrepresented groups in oil and natural gas.

Next Episode

Why ownership changes everything: Indigenous communities take the lead in resource development

Bob Merasty is the executive director of the Indigenous Resource Network, an organization looking to build a sustainable future for Indigenous communities across Canada through responsible development of natural resources. "We're no longer passengers," says Merasty, highlighting the growing confidence of Indigenous groups to become owners and equal partners through equity deals on pipelines, Indigenous-led LNG projects, entrepreneurial supply-chain businesses and more.

Merasty discusses with Energy Examined the impetus behind this trend, including benefits like jobs, economic growth and poverty reduction, steps needed to take things further, such as improved access to capital, and the vital role Indigenous businesses can play as land and natural resource stewards.