“The Bay du Nord development project can go ahead, subject to some of the most stringent environmental conditions ever imposed,” said the Minister of the Environment.
© Provided by franceinfo
While the IPCC has just returned its third report for decision-makers to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the government of Justin Trudeau in Canada has given its approval for the construction of a major controversial oil project in the Atlantic Ocean, the Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault.
This project, called Bay du Nord and supported for years by the Norwegian giant Equinor, will make it possible to exploit an oil field at a depth of more than one kilometer 500 kilometers off the coast of the province of Newfoundland. The commissioning of the project is scheduled for 2028.
300 million barrels of oil over 30 years
“The Bay du Nord development project can proceed, subject to some of the most stringent environmental conditions ever imposed, including the historic requirement for an oil and gas project to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050”, said the minister and former climate activist. According to a comprehensive environmental assessment, the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, he added.
It will be the fifth oil rig of its kind in Canada and will allow the extraction of approximately 300 million barrels of oil over 30 years, according to the company.
According to the report by UN climate experts, to respect a rise in temperatures of +1.5°C, the use of coal without carbon capture should be completely stopped and those of oil and gas reduced by 60% and 70%, respectively, by 2050 from 2019 levels.