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It is possible to curb greenhouse gas emissions generated by the oilsands without clipping the sector’s growth, says a new report by the Canadian Energy Research Institute.

“There is a possibility of having greater economic activity in hydrocarbons and the potential of meeting emissions targets” at the same time, says Allan Fogwill, president of CERI, a Calgary-based independent energy research institute.

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Some environment groups believe scrapping new oilsands projects is crucial to cutting the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, but CERI’s report, published Tuesday, offers a middle path that keeps bitumen growth intact without expanding its environmental footprint.

The report puts forward five scenarios that quantify GHG emissions associated with energy use from the oilsands industry, including fuel used to generate electricity to meet production requirements.

The ball is in the industry’s court to see if they can make these energy intensity reductions

The industry’s current, business-as-usual scenario, forecasts oilsands’ production to more than double to 4.9 million barrels per day by 2050, generating 1.3 gigajoules per barrel (GJ).