About: tar sands

Has the coronavirus killed the oil sands industry?

The spectacular collapse in oil prices caused by the coronavirus pandemic has brought the costliest – and most polluting – oil projects such as tar sands to a standstill, a development some analysts say could be definitive.

EU opens door to Canada’s dirty oil

Oil extracted from tar sands is far more polluting than conventional hydrocarbons. But the EU’s decision to change the way it classifies the fuel is good news for Canadian exports and bad news for the environment. EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France reports.

Two thirds of European oil refineries ready for tar sands imports

EXCLUSIVE / More than two thirds of European oil refineries are now equipped to process tar sands, research has found, raising fears the EU is ready to welcome a flood of imports of one of the most environmentally devastating fuels in production.

TTIP driving EU’s deregulation agenda

Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic should consider the wishes of their electorate, including the millions of citizens that have signed petitions against TTIP, argues Pieter de Pous.

Fossil fuels must stay in ground – but be realistic, Chris Smith says

Significant quantities of known coal and tar sands reserves will need to be kept in the ground to avoid the worst climate change impacts, the former chief of the UK Environment Agency has said.

Lessons learned from an eight-year battle for cleaner fuels

The European Commission ignored scientific advice, and crumbled in the face of lobbying by Canada, the US, and oil majors, when it watered down legislation concerning the dirtiest and costliest oil, writes Nusa Urbancic.

Canada tar sands will not be labelled ‘dirty’ after all

The European Parliament today (17 December) passed by just 12 votes controversial fuel quality rules that do not penalise imports of polluting tar sands oil from Canada.

Activist MEPs put tar sands ‘dirty label’ back on the agenda

EU lawmakers have relaunched a plan to stigmatise Canada's tar sands on Wednesday (3 December), despite years of Ottawa's lobbying the EU bloc as part of its export drive.

Commission scraps plan to label tar sands as polluting

The European Commission Tuesday (7 October) proposed scrapping a mandatory requirement to label tar sands oil as highly polluting, after years of industry opposition.

FQD – an oily tunnel. But will there be light at the end?

Under the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD), oil companies must reduce the carbon intensity of their transport fuels by 6% by 2020. But heavy lobbying from industry, Canada and the US has led to a weakened Commission proposal. Laura Buffet of Transport & Environment argues that the option for oil companies to report accurate company-specific carbon values for their different oil is crucial for an effective FQD.

EU proposal scraps mandatory ‘dirty’ label for tar sands

A mandatory EU requirement to label oil from tar sands as more polluting than other forms of crude could be scrapped altogether following years of lobbying from top producer Canada, according to a draft European Commission proposal.

First tar sands shipment to Europe sparks protests

EXCLUSIVE / Anti-tar sands demonstrations have begun outside a Spanish refinery that will receive the first major European shipment of Canada’s tar sands next week, and activists are refusing to rule out direct action to stop it.

The tar sands mystery and the smoking TTIP gun

The EU’s motivation for a proposal to scrap greenhouse gas intensity targets in its flagship Fuel Quality Directive (FQD), which regulates emissions from transport fuels, has been shrouded in mystery since it was first mooted three months ago, but EURACTIV has uncovered new information.

Canada, Big Oil and the frequently and quietly delayed Fuel Quality Directive

It’s March 2014, and we still don’t have a functioning Fuel Quality Directive, the only European law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuel, writes Laura Buffet.

European tar sands imports set for steep rise, US study says

A new study by the US Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) today (23 January) warns that imports of tar sands into Europe are likely to skyrocket if the block does not take measures.

Canada attacks EU data labelling tar sands as dirty

Canada on Wednesday (13 November) renewed its attack on the European Union's plan to classify Canadian tar sands oil as particularly dirty and released a study questioning the data behind the controversial measure. 

Europe must avoid tarring and feathering itself

Europe's international standing on climate issues will be tarnished if it gives into pressure from the tar sands lobby to allow unregulated imports of tar sands, argues Nuša Urban?i?.

Europe must avoid tarring and feathering itself

All signs point towards growing interest in importing more tar sands-based fuels to Europe. While Europe is regulating carmakers to make more fuel-efficient cars, it should also ensure that the fuels their engines run on are not getting dirtier, writes Nusa Urbancic.

EU tar sands law would cost oil firms ‘less than a euro cent a litre’

EXCLUSIVE / A stalled internal EU report has found that draft proposals to apply a high-polluting tag to unconventional fuels such as tar sands would have an effect on oil prices too minimal to be felt at filling stations.

Canada ‘spins’ mining disclosure laws on back of EU’s approval

The European Parliament has given its final approval for tough new disclosure rules for energy and mining firms, just as Canadian premier Stephen Harper announces similar rules in London in a bid analysts say is designed to smooth over bad headlines on tar sands.

James Hansen: We are on the verge of creating climate chaos

Burning fossil fuels is warming the planet over centuries to an extent that previously only happened over millennia. Correspondingly, an inexorably rising price urgently needs to be put on carbon emissions, says James Hansen, a renowned climatologist, scientist, and environmental campaigner.

Ex-NASA scientist says reindustrialising with fossil fuels makes no sense

A noted climatologist and recently-retired NASA research chief has entered the EU’s energy policy debate, with a warning that any re-industrialisation strategy which increases fossil fuels use can only be short-term, irrational and economically wasteful.

German research institute pulls out of Canadian tar sands project

EXCLUSIVE / Germany’s largest and most prestigious research institute has pulled out of a Canadian government-funded CAN$25 million research project into sustainable solutions to tar sands pollution, citing fears for its environmental reputation.

Indigenous chief: Canada trying to muscle EU on tar sands

Canada is tarnishing its green image by lobbying on behalf of tar sands, labelled in the EU's proposed revision of the Fuel Quality Directive as more polluting than conventional oil sources, said Indigenous Chief Bill Erasmus, in an interview with EURACTIV.