Linda Coady, Chief Sustainability Officer, Enbridge Inc.
The energy landscape is changing. What role are sustainability issues and strategies playing in that change?
At the local level, people are more aware of the impacts, risks and benefits associated with energy development and infrastructure. This is driving demand for more involvement in decision-making and for higher performance by energy companies on safety and environmental protection. It means companies are working more proactively with stakeholders to develop new approaches to engagement, transparency and accountability.
At a broader level, the world is grappling with how to meet the increasing demand for energy from a growing global population while limiting carbon emissions to address climate change. This is accelerating investment in technologies that will shape future demand and supply.
At all levels, energy systems are in the early stages of a major transformation. From the shale gas revolution to the reduced costs of renewables, the signs of change are all around us. Whether you are a company, a community, an industry or a government, the transition to a lower carbon future requires innovation and solutions-oriented approaches.
North America's energy requirements are going to be met by an increasingly diverse mix of energy sources with increasingly complex interdependencies. SUPPLIED
How is Enbridge preparing itself for the transition to a lower carbon future?
As an energy infrastructure and transportation company, Enbridge is focused on meeting the energy needs of our customers now and in the future. For us, business success in a low carbon economy starts with understanding that North American energy requirements are going to be met by an increasingly diverse mix of energy sources with increasingly complex interdependencies.
Hence, diversity is an important strategy, as is working collaboratively across the energy value chain to reduce carbon emissions. We operate the largest crude oil pipeline system in North America and are an industry leader in investing in technologies that improve the safety and integrity of our pipelines. We also have a significant and growing position in the generation, transmission and distribution of both natural gas and renewables.
With less than half of the carbon emissions of burning coal, natural gas is an important transition fuel. Our investments in natural gas distribution in places like Ontario have contributed to reductions in coal-fired electricity.
With nearly $4-billion invested in wind, solar and geothermal projects and technologies in Canada and the United States, we are a major investor in renewables. This includes investments in high-tech companies like Toronto's Morgan Solar, which is working to reduce the costs and increase the efficiency of solar energy; and Canadian-owned Hydrogenics, a company that is working to solve renewable energy storage challenges by converting power to gas that can be stored in pipelines.
So business strategies for sustainability are core to how Enbridge is responding to the changes underway in North America's energy landscape. They are helping to shape how we are delivering integrated energy solutions for today and tomorrow.
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