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Enbridge’s road map to net-zero emissions from our operations by 2050

Published: April 16, 2021

‘Well underway’ on the journey, with a clear sustainability strategy to modernize, innovate and green our pipeline network

Net-zero emissions from our operations by 2050.1, 3

It’s a sustainability target that’s “absolutely doable,” says Caitlin Tessin, Enbridge’s Director of Market Innovation, “with the right road map.”

Last November, Enbridge was among the first North American midstream energy companies to set a hard target of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our operations by the year 20501, 3.

With Earth Day approaching on Thursday, April 22, we’re now half a year into our journey—our roadmap dotted with achievable milestones, and a clear sustainability strategy propelling us forward.

“Achieving net zero won’t come from a single solution. It will come from several sources,” says Pete Sheffield, Enbridge’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of U.S. External Affairs. “And while we’re only six months into our plan, it’s already well underway.”

An initial 35% intensity reduction from our operations by 20301, 2

A significant signpost for Enbridge will arrive in 2030, by which point Enbridge has committed to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions from our operations by 35%1, 2. We plan to get there with an aggressive strategy of modernization, innovation and “greening the grid” initiatives including our solar self-power projects.

“Setting that initial 35% intensity reduction target helps us to focus on reducing emissions from our businesses, while at the same time growing to meet the world’s escalating appetite for energy. That target places the focus squarely on modernization and innovation,” says Sheffield.

Enbridge’s program of modernization includes upgrading older and less efficient equipment in our operations, alongside enhanced maintenance programs, to reduce emissions.

We’ve also built solar farms across North America—with several more on the way—to offset the electrical load required to move natural gas and crude oil along our pipeline networks. These solar self-power projects include:

Investing in renewables, exploring greener fuels

Achieving net zero from our operations by 20501, 3 also means more investment in our renewable energy portfolio, and continued exploration of lower-carbon fuel sources—such as renewable natural gas (RNG) and renewable hydrogen—for introduction into the gas distribution grid of our utility, Enbridge Gas Inc.

Our renewables portfolio—consisting of wind, solar, geothermal and waste heat recovery facilities either in operation or under construction, with a European offshore wind component that’s growing rapidly—has a 2,075-MW net generation capacity and meets the electricity consumption needs of about 940,000 homes, or a city about the size of San Francisco.

Enbridge Gas, meanwhile, has several RNG initiatives either in operation or under construction, including:

Enbridge Gas and its affiliates are also examining the suitability of renewable hydrogen gas in greening the natural gas grid, including:

Contributing to global emissions reduction

Enbridge’s net-zero road map has potentially positive ramifications outside of our North American footprint, too.

“ESG is a key enabler of our business. Globally speaking, natural gas is a lower-carbon fuel source that will play a key part in emissions reduction through the switch from coal-fired to gas-fired power generation, and we’re well-positioned to support the LNG export market in that regard,” says Sheffield.

“Operating safely and sustainably is not new to us. We’ve been doing it for decades. It’s part of what we view as our dual responsibility—providing the energy people need and use every day, and doing it in a responsible, sustainable way.”

(TOP PHOTO: Enbridge's Alberta Solar One project, which entered service in March 2021, supplies a portion of the power requirements for our Mainline crude oil and liquids network.)

1 GHG emissions included within our targets are from assets over which we have operational control (Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions). Projected reductions of GHG emissions intensity and absolute emissions is relative to the 2018 baseline year. For more information, see our 2023 Sustainability Report.
2 This metric aggregates emissions and throughput for each business unit on the basis of tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per energy delivered in petajoules (“PJ”). Estimated emissions (tCO2e) and volume (PJ) information as at Q4, 2023 is based on pre-audited numbers.
3 Absolute emissions.

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