Confronting Carbon Lock: Canada's Oil Sands

This policy brief examines the economic resilience of Canada's oil sands and the resulting 'carbon lock-in,' arguing that continued production could create a global oil oversupply that hinders the low-carbon transition and undermines international climate action.

• Canada's oil sands are the primary source of emissions within the national oil and gas sector, accounting for 72 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent out of a total of 180 million t CO2e.
• Major existing oil sands projects in Canada are considered 'locked in' because they remain resilient even when oil prices decline.
• Limiting oil production in Canada could provide climate benefits that are equal to or greater than those offered by the Pan-Canadian Framework, the country's current climate action plan.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2018). Confronting Carbon Lock: Canada's Oil Sands. https://www.sei.org/publications/confronting-carbon-lock-canadas-oil-sands/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Confronting Carbon Lock: Canada's Oil Sands. 2018. https://www.sei.org/publications/confronting-carbon-lock-canadas-oil-sands/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Confronting Carbon Lock: Canada's Oil Sands |date=24 May 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/confronting-carbon-lock-canadas-oil-sands/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2018confronting, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Confronting Carbon Lock: Canada's Oil Sands}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/confronting-carbon-lock-canadas-oil-sands/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }