August 10, 2016
Athabasca University’s Athabasca River Basin Research Institute (ARBRI) has joined the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) as an associate member. This new affiliation with Canada’s oil sands producers will enable ARBRI’s researchers to further their work into environmental modelling, greenhouse gases and water health through greater networking and collaboration opportunities with other academic and industry research partners.
ARBRI’s cutting edge research into environmental and water sustainability is being performed by a team of post-doctorate researchers led by Dr. Junye Wang and Dr. Chris Glover, supported by the Campus Alberta Innovates Program. The improved access to collaborative partners and resources this associate membership provides will help further this important work.
This membership also benefits COSIA as it allows ARBRI’s researchers to contribute to the organization’s strategic efforts to accelerate innovation and environmental performance improvement in Canada’s oil sands. Participation in COSIA’s projects and innovation conferences will help ARBRI researchers reach a much larger audience and inform a greater public about the work being done at Athabasca University in the fields of environmental and water sustainability.
About ARBRI
Launched in 2008, the Athabasca River Basin Research Institute is an innovative interdisciplinary research centre at Athabasca University, which studies the Athabasca River Basin and its people from a broad range of perspectives. The basin is ecologically significant and rich in natural resources, including some of the world’s largest oil sands deposits. It also represents a tapestry of diverse cultures and has considerable historical importance. Through research and knowledge transfer, the institute will help to identify gaps in knowledge, highlight research opportunities and enhance understanding of key environmental issues. ARBRI’s activities help inform academics, community members and decision-makers alike and support the development of sound policies that will benefit all who have a stake in the basin.
About COSIA (from Cosia.ca)
Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is an alliance of oil sands producers focused on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands through collaborative action and innovation. We bring together leading thinkers from industry, government, academia and the wider public to improve measurement, accountability and environmental performance in the oil sands in four priority areas. These four Environmental Priority Areas (EPAs) are tailings, water, land and greenhouse gases.
We take innovation and environmental performance in the oil sands to the next level. We accomplish this through a continued focus on collaboration and transparent exchange, by setting environmental performance goals and reporting publicly on progress towards these goals. To date, COSIA member companies have shared 814 distinct technologies and innovations that cost almost $1.3 billion to develop. These numbers are increasing as the alliance matures and expands. Through this sharing of innovation and application of new technologies, members can accelerate the pace of environmental performance improvements.
For more information on COSIA and its focus areas, please see www.cosia.ca
Updated August 10 2016 by Jim Sellers