Tyler Tarnoczi: Finding opportunities to reduce carbon emissions

August 2022 - Tyler Tarnoczi, Climate & Sustainability Specialist at Cenovus Energy, has always been motivated by the thrill of solving problems and identifying innovative solutions. Now, Tyler is putting his passion into practice as he leads Cenovus’s work on carbon policy and identifying opportunities to invest in zero-emissions solutions.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is something that is really important for society, so it’s exciting to work on a problem that has united people across the globe,” says Tyler. “Carbon policy is a rapidly evolving field, and no day is ever the same – which makes for a really interesting career.”

Originally earning his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Chemistry, Tyler knew he wanted to make a difference in the energy sector so he went back to school to earn his master’s degree in both Natural Resources Management and Business Administration. All of his schooling has come in handy as he works to understand how Cenovus can reduce carbon emissions from operations and increase participation in global carbon markets to help meet our climate targets. 

“The great thing about my role is I get to work with nearly every aspect of the business and interact with a lot of different people as we work together to achieve Cenovus’s climate goals,” says Tyler. “I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of finding ways to reduce our carbon emissions.”

Tyler works with teams at our Lloydminster Ethanol Plant and our Pikes Peak South thermal project in Saskatchewan who have helped Cenovus successfully capture and store over 80,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – that’s the equivalent of taking more than 17,000 cars off the road for one year.

He also collaborates with external stakeholders on emission reduction programs and is actively working on the Pathways Alliance, which Cenovus co-founded. This unique alliance between Canada’s largest oil sands producers is working with the provincial and federal governments to achieve net zero GHG emissions from oil sands operations by 2050 and to help Canada meet its climate goals, including its Paris Agreement commitments.

“The people that work in the energy industry are some of the most creative and entrepreneurial in the world,” says Tyler. “Innovation will be the key to overcoming whatever barriers the industry may face. Whether it’s eliminating emissions, developing new markets and products, or reducing production costs, the industry has a track-record of resiliency through innovation, and I expect that will continue.”