Schedule A: Shareholder Proposal No. 1
The following shareholder proposal was submitted by InvestNow Inc., holder of 50 common shares of Suncor, for consideration at the meeting. This proposal and its supporting statement represent the views of the shareholder submitting them. Suncor is required by applicable law to set forth the shareholder proposal and the related supporting statement in the Circular.
For the reasons set forth below in the “Board and Management Statement”, the Board and management recommend that shareholders vote AGAINST this proposal.
Shareholder Proposal and Supporting Statement
Proposed Resolution
Net Zero by 2050: Costly and Prosperity-Destroying
Submitted by InvestNow Inc., a not-for-profit organization that challenges the divestment movement and advocates for investment in Canada’s oil and gas sector. This is submitted on behalf of Gina Pappano, Executive Director of InvestNow, a shareholder of Suncor Energy Inc.
RESOLVED: That Suncor Energy Inc. (“Suncor”) end its pledge to be Net Zero by 2050.
Supporting statement
Attacks on the oil and gas sector are coming from all fronts. Celebrities, internet influencers, radical activist shareholders, banks, ideologically driven financial alliances and well-funded non-profit organizations are all calling for “divestment” and promoting elimination of the Canadian oil and gas sector in the next 25 years.
Suncor has continuously improved on emissions. Why commit to an arbitrary goal of Net Zero? Net Zero by 2050 means massive declines in the use of coal, oil and gas. It commits to radical changes in very short timeframes. It is not legally required and has no clear connection to increasing shareholder value. To pledge Net Zero by 2050 is asking shareholders to believe that eliminating our oil and gas sector will somehow help Canada and reduce CO2 emissions. The facts suggest the opposite. In 2022, 82 per cent of the world’s primary energy needs were met by oil, natural gas and coal.1 And, global demand for these fuels is increasing, not decreasing.
If the oil and gas the world wants and needs is not supplied by Canadian energy companies like Suncor, it will be supplied by authoritarian regimes in poorly regulated, undemocratic countries that are less responsible and less environmentally friendly. Emissions will go up and environmental performance will go down. There will be more hardship for everyday Canadians as our economy is hobbled, businesses and industries shut down, people lose their jobs and energy poverty grows. All while watching the demand for oil and gas be supplied by countries other than Canada. Why would Suncor and its shareholders want to commit to that?
As one of the largest and leading oil and gas companies in Canada2, Suncor should be producing more oil and gas and getting it out to more customers in Canada and around the world. And they should do this unapologetically. In the face of a supply-demand imbalance, Suncor should create more oil and gas supply and reduce energy costs for Canadians and the world.
Oil and gas is central to Canada’s economy and prosperity. Nothing happens without oil and gas. The sector is essential for the functioning of the economy, for jobs, for innovation, and, in fact, for global emission reductions. Canadians, from the hundreds of thousands who work in the sector to the millions-all of us-who depend on it for essentially all aspects of life expect that Suncor Energy will put their customers’ and shareholders’ interests ahead of the pursuit of a political goal like Net Zero by 2050. We believe Suncor Energy has an economic and moral imperative to do so.
1 Statistical Review of World Energy, https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review
2 As measured by market capitalization on TSX, October 31, 2023
Board and Management Statement
Suncor’s Board and management recommend voting AGAINST this proposal for the following reasons:
Suncor is committed to decarbonizing its business and being part of the energy transition.
Global trends point to rising GHG emissions, the warming of our planet and, increasingly, the concerning effects of climate change. These global energy outlooks also forecast oil & gas remaining among the world’s largest sources of energy for decades to come. Therein lies the dilemma, effectively and affordably decarbonizing the oil & gas sector, while meeting energy demand. Our view is that Canada has a major opportunity to lead, and prosper, by capturing global market share through the provision of oil & gas with lower emissions from the production process. Achieving Canada’s energy potential requires a shared vision, including public policy support, technological advances, competitive investments, and effective leadership. In other words, collective effort is required, between government, industry, and society. As one of Canada’s largest integrated energy companies, Suncor has an opportunity to support shared goals on climate, economic prosperity, and energy security.
Suncor has long recognized carbon as a principal risk to our business. Climate risks and opportunities are deeply embedded into strategy development, scenario planning, business planning, project execution, risk oversight, executive compensation,