Federal minister's Suncor criticism shows 'utter contempt' for Alberta: Premier Danielle Smith

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the federal environment minister's criticism of a major oilsands company constitutes a "provocative" verbal attack on Alberta's energy sector.

"Steven Guilbeault has once again shown his utter contempt for Alberta, our economy and our energy workers," reads a statement attributed to the premier, released on Wednesday.

"Minister Guilbeault's comments are a continuation of his provocative verbal attacks on Alberta's energy sector, the most environmentally responsible and ethical energy-producing jurisdiction in the world."

In an interview with The Canadian Press published on Tuesday, Guilbeault discussed Suncor CEO Rich Kruger's comments on a recent second-quarter results conference call. 

During Kruger's call with investors, the executive said the company must get back to fundamentals, including its "large integrated asset base underpinned by oilsands."

"Where we stand, is we judge that our current strategic framework is [insufficient] in terms of what it takes to win," reads a transcript from the call posted to Suncor's website. 

"The lack of emphasis on today's business drivers — and while important, we have a bit of a disproportionate emphasis on the longer-term energy transition."

Guilbeault characterized those comments as "disappointing," especially in the midst of a summer marked by wildfires across Canada, adding that it had further convinced him of the need for regulation.

Draft regulations planned by the federal government to cap emissions are expected to be published later this year.

Smith has often referred to such plans as a "de facto production cap" and again on Wednesday claimed it would devastate the Alberta and Canadian economies.

In a statement Wednesday, a spokesperson for Suncor said a full transcript of the investor call shows Kruger reiterated the company's commitment to the Pathways Alliance, a consortium of companies representing 95 per cent of oilsands production, and its stated objective to achieve net-zero emissions from operations by 2050.

"To be clear, we aren't reducing activity on important projects like Pathways, Canada's largest ethanol plant, investing in sustainable aviation fuels, nor spending less — in fact from 2021 to 2025, we expect to spend approximately 10 per cent of our annual capital budget, on average, on projects aimed at lowering our emissions," Sneh Seetal wrote in an email.

"What we are doing is focusing our activities on reducing our emissions, not necessarily growing new business lines. By doing so we intend to get a better result in reducing our emissions. Ensuring we have the highest performing base business is compatible with making progress on decarbonization — in fact, it's necessary."

In 2021, the oil and gas industry was the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the country, accounting for 28 per cent of total emissions.