OREANDA-NEWS. Suncor Energy announced today the release of its 2013 Report on Sustainability. The voluntary report highlights Suncor's environmental, social and economic performance.

"Is it possible to have a prosperous economy and a vibrant society, while maintaining a healthy planet for our grandchildren? I believe the answer is yes," said Steve Williams, president and chief executive officer. "To do this, we need to take collaboration to the next level and engage citizens in an informed discussion about the path forward. Our Report on Sustainability is intended to help kick-start that conversation."

In addition to reporting on the company's economic contribution and social impact, the Report on Sustainability specifically highlights Suncor's progress towards its beyond-compliance environmental performance goals. Below are some of the highlights found in the 2013 report.

Environment
Oil Sands Water Management Strategy. Suncor's goal is to reduce freshwater consumption by 12 per cent by 2015 (from 2007 levels). In February 2013, Suncor began sending treated tailings water from its oil sands base plant to its Firebag in situ facility for reuse as makeup water. As part of the oil sands water management strategy, around 10,000 cubic metres per day of tailings water is now used as in situ makeup water instead of being stored in tailings ponds. An equivalent amount of water will be recycled at the mining site, reducing the amount of fresh water Suncor needs to withdraw from the Athabasca River.

Land and Biodiversity. Suncor has a goal to increase reclamation* of disturbed land area by 100% by 2015 (from 2007 levels). By the end of 2012, Suncor had planted nearly six million trees on our oil sands site - including 900,000 trees in the previous 12 months alone.

Air Quality. Suncor's environmental performance goal for air emissions seeks a 10 per cent reduction by 2015, compared to 2007 levels. Overall, total reported air emissions in 2012 decreased by 8.7 per cent compared to 2011 levels. This decrease was primarily due to a significant reduction in the Refining and Marketing business unit. Emissions were also reduced as a result of improved performance from our Oil Sands and Exploration and Production business units.

Energy Intensity and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Suncor has a goal of improving energy efficiency by 10 per cent by 2015. Currently, the company is working to implement an Energy Management System (EMS) at all of its major facilities. The system will improve the measurement, control and governance of energy and is expected to result in a two to three per cent improvement in energy/GHG intensity through better operational control.


* Reclaimed lands have not been certified as such by government regulators. For further details on the definition of reclaimed, see the Legal Notice herein.