The views of more than 5,000 sustainability thought leaders in Canada, the U.S. and Europe are outlined in The 2010 Global Thought Leader Survey on Sustainability.

The Canadian government, as a resource manager for the Northwest Territories' oil and gas resources, is at a crossroads — it has to decide how to manage oil and gas development in the territory. This fact sheet makes the case for a win-win development scenario, which would provide maximum benefit to the public (the resource owners), while allowing oil and gas companies to earn fair returns on their investments.

The Canadian government, as a resource manager for the Northwest Territories' oil and gas resources, is at a crossroads — it has to decide how to manage the development of the oil and gas resources in the territory. A win-win development scenario would allow companies to earn fair returns on their investments while providing maximum benefit for resource owners today and in the future. With a view to achieving a win-win development scenario for oil and gas developments in the territory, this discussion paper reviews and evaluates the existing Frontier Lands Petroleum Royalty Regime; the system for awarding lease rights for oil and gas; and key opportunities for the Government of the Northwest Territories to capture revenue from oil and gas developments within the territory.

The “natural capital” of the Credit River Watershed provides services worth more than $371 million to area residents each year.

The “natural capital” of the Credit River Watershed provides services worth more than $371 million to area residents each year.

This set of recommendations for ambitious environmental action was presented to the federal government in advance of the 2008 federal budget. The Pembina Institute authored several of the recommendations including recommendations for carbon pricing, mining and mineral exploration and development, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

This document summarizes the proceedings from the Pembina Institute's Carbon Pricing for a Sustainable Economy conference, held in Calgary in October 2007.

The conference brought together a wide range of experts and practitioners for an intensive workshop with the goals of (a) highlighting and sharing cutting-edge thinking on carbon pricing tools, and (b) vetting and refining concrete design proposals that could form the basis for future policy.

About one hundred participants from a broad range of industry, government, ENGO, media and academic sectors took part, bringing their expertise as professionals, interests as stakeholders and problem-solving skills to the table.

The Delegates Package, including pre-conference readings, is also available.

This package was provided to delegates at the Pembina Institute's Carbon Pricing for a Sustainable Economy conference, held in Calgary in October 2007.

Appendix A includes the following summary papers: 

• Policy Evaluation Criteria
• Comparing Tools
• Revenue Recycling
• Canadian Policy Experience
• Review of Canadian Modelling
• International Policy Experience
• Pricing and International Competitiveness

The conference brought together a wide range of experts and practitioners for an intensive workshop with the goals of (a) highlighting and sharing cutting-edge thinking on carbon pricing tools, and (b) vetting and refining concrete design proposals that could form the basis for future policy.

About one hundred participants from a broad range of industry, government, ENGO, media and academic sectors took part, bringing their expertise as professionals, interests as stakeholders and problem-solving skills to the table.

A summary of the conference proceedings is also available.

Thinking Like an Owner
Help Premier Stelmach Make the Right Decision About Royalty Reform

You can help Premier Ed Stelmach make the right decision on energy royalties.

It's is easy as 1 - 2 - 3:

1.) Get informed.

2.) Think like an owner.

3.) Let the Premier know where you stand.

Download a primer with the information you need below.

The Economics of Happiness challenges the gospel of economic growth and the promise of capitalism by presenting a new economic model — "Genuine Wealth" — based on the premise that economic development can be oriented towards genuine well-being and happiness.

This report describes how much energy solar water heaters, ground source heat pumps, solar photovoltaic power systems, and small wind generators could be produced by Canadian homes, and looks at the broad range of economic policy instruments that could be used by federal and provincial governments to support the use of these technologies.

This report describes several options that Albertans, when thinking like owners, can consider for reforming the oil sands royalty regime. The reforms are designed to ensure better value to Albertans while maintaining a reasonable profit for oil sands companies.

This technical background paper accompanies a report entitled Royalty Reform Solutions: Options for Delivering a Fair Share of Oil Sands Revenues to Albertans and Resource Developers.

This fact sheet presents three options for oil sands royalty reform. All three options strike a balance between ensuring reasonable return for companies and maximizing earnings for Albertans, who own the resource, for this non-renewable resource. Solutions and recommendations are also described.

Presentation delivered to the Alberta Royalty Review Panel on May 22, 2007, which outlines three options for reforming the oil sands royalty regime.

The Pembina Institute commissioned Probe Research Inc., a professional research and survey organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to conduct a study to gauge public attitudes toward the environmental and economic impacts of oil sands development in Alberta.

Blueprint for Conducting Sound Royalty Reform in Alberta sets the bar for reviewing and reforming Alberta's oil sands, oil and natural gas royalties. It describes the Pembina Institutes vision of how such a review should be conducted in a way that is for Albertans and by Albertans. The ultimate objective is to establish a royalty regime that maximizes value to Albertans as owners of the oil sands, oil and natural gas resources in the province.

This four page summary takes a critical look at the tax and royalty treatment of Alberta's oil sands. An outdated royalty regime and federal tax breaks are costing Albertans and Canadians money in the form of forgone tax and royalty revenues. Between 1996 and 2005, royalty revenue per barrel of oil from oil sands   declined 32% and the federal government lost up to $1.65 billion in tax revenue. Albertans as owners of the oil sands need to demand that their resource manager, the Minister of Energy get them a better deal for oil sands developments. And Canadians need to demand that the Federal Minister of Finance eliminate subsidies to a very profitable industry.