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Our Innovation is out of this World.

Reimagining energy for the planet.

Greenhouse gases

Who We Are: Explore Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA)

COSIA is an alliance of oil sands producers accelerating the improvement of environmental performance in Canada's oil sands through collaboration and innovation. To create the breakthroughs needed, we are bringing together industry, government, academia and innovators to reduce emissions, reduce water use and reclaim land faster.

Environmental Innovation in Action

When launched in 2012, COSIA was considered one of the most unique models of open innovation and collaboration in the world. It represents Canadian innovation and environmental leadership in action. Since 2012, through COSIA, our members have invested $1.8 billion to develop more than 1,100 technologies. Many of the solutions we advance have the potential to make a positive global impact.

Check out some examples of our work and how we aspire to produce oil with lower greenhouse gas emissions than other sources of oil below. To read about our innovation in other areas, click the blue button.

Space-based monitoring detects greenhouse gas faster

GHGSat launched its first commercial satellite “Iris” in September 2020 and its second satellite “Hugo” in early 2021. What’s special about this satellite family is they can pinpoint and measure greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sites anywhere in the world with an extremely high degree of accuracy.

Satellite

CCUS

What you need to know about carbon capture 

The world is looking for ways to drastically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and oil sands producers are among those who have made ambitious commitments to achieve net zero, or near net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier. There are many pathways to get there and one with great potential is carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies.

Efficiency helps drive down emissions

Addressing climate change is top of mind for Canada’s oil sands producers who are doubling down on their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieve sustainable development of this important global resource. Game-changing technologies aside, one of the proven routes to success is through small, incremental improvements that help oil sands facilities run as efficiently as possible.

Energy Efficiency

GHG earth blog

Transforming carbon emissions into products 

Our NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE has proven that converting CO2 into everyday products can be a game-changing pathway in our broader emissions reduction efforts. This ground-breaking initiative has enabled development of technologies that can address climate change by converting CO2 emissions into products like environmentally friendly concrete, plastics and even vodka.

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A catalyst for better environmental outcomes

From exciting new scientific discoveries to game-changing technologies (and everything in between), our focus is on innovation. Explore research, innovation opportunities and projects within our priority areas. Or, submit an idea for consideration.