Cenovus CEO defends oilsands in wake of Neil Young crusade

Cenovus CEO Brian Ferguson says Canadians should be angry about the way oilsands are being portrayed internationally as dirty oil.

In an interview with CBCs The Lang & OLeary Exchange, Ferguson said Cenovus, a major investor in the oilsands, wants to engage all Canadians in a conversation about development of natural resources.

One of the challenges that weve experienced here is that some of the special interest groups and celebrities have been making very sensational and outrageous statements that should really infuriate all Canadians, Ferguson said.

He was reacting to singer Neil Youngs recent Canadian tour to raise money for aboriginal groups fighting oilsands development.

In this video interview, Ferguson claims that new technology and a focus on emissions has led to a 27 per cent drop in greenhouse gas emissions from Cenovus since 2004.

He also defends efforts to get pipelines built to get Canadian oil to market.

Were in the very fortunate situation that global demand has been growing. Whats really important today is that we develop the infrastructure today for all our natural resources, not just oil, he said.