Do you think debate should include economic, environmental and social impacts and benefits?
Do you have the information you need?
At Suncor, we know that our industry is in the public eye as never before. We’re also keenly aware that many believe we are not doing enough to reduce environmental impacts. We have heard this message loud and clear – and we are responding. We need to do a better job of communicating what we’re doing and how it affects Canadians
Welcome to Oil Sands Question And Response, or OSQAR. OSQAR is a bulletin from Suncor Energy for interested groups and individuals, helping to support constructive dialogue about the oil sands.
Our aim with OSQAR is to provide context and perspective on the questions raised about the benefits of developing the oil sands and how related environmental impacts are managed. We hope OSQAR is what you’ve been looking for and will help you participate in discussions on this topic.
With future editions, we’ll be responding to current oil sands news and sharing facts and viewpoints on a diverse range of energy topics, and responding to the evolving public debate. We think that all of these, including industry criticisms, are important parts of a meaningful dialogue.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues. If you’d like further information, please contact us.
Transparency matters
Transparency in reporting performance is becoming increasingly important. Stakeholders, including investors, need to know what companies are doing since they have a vested interest in their performance.
Recently, there's been a fair amount of media attention on shareholder resolutions at Annual meetings. For example, some shareholders are asking for companies to explain their investments in oil sands.
As the Pembina Institute notes in their In-Situ report card, more data is needed to evaluate and assess the environmental performance of projects. See this link (PDF) for more information.
One of the ways that companies share performance information is through voluntary Sustainable Development reports. Some groups have expressed concern that reporting isn’t mandatory and that data is either insufficient or hard to find. The test for any company, including Suncor, is how transparent they are in sharing data, plans, goals and progress.
For a complete list of Sustainability Reports from 1999 to 2009, check out the Global Reporting Initiative’s website.
Suncor’s Report on Sustainability, which was developed according to GRI standards, is available on our website.
