• CERAWeek
  • March 18 - 22, 2024
  • About

Kevin Birn

S&P Global

Head, Centre of Emissions Excellence

Mr. Birn is based in Calgary and is responsible for the Centre of Emission Excellence within S&P Global Commodity Insights. The Centre is responsible for accelerating Commodity Insights emissions estimation by helping to identify and inform strategic priorities, ensuring consistency in estimation across business lines, and providing technical support and guidance to develop new models, methods and tools in the estimation of GHG emissions across energy value chains.  Mr. Birn has over a decade of experience engaging and advising governments, companies and industry on emission accounting estimation as well as decarbonization strategies.  Mr. Birn is also an established thought leader on the Canadian oil market and serves as the Chief Analyst for the Canadian Oil Market.  Mr. Birn is currently a fellow at the Canadian Global Affair Institute.  Mr. Birn holds an undergraduate degree in business and a graduate degree in economics from the University of Alberta.

Sessions With Kevin Birn

Monday, 6 March

  • 03:30pm - 04:15pm (CST) / 06/mar/2023 09:30 pm - 06/mar/2023 10:15 pm

    S&P Global | Least Cost Decarbonization Pathways
    Making investment choices to reduce emissions of an asset, region, or value chain requires understanding the cost and benefits—how much for how many emissions. S&P Global Commodity Insights advisory services has been involve in an increasing number of projects to enable clients better understand the complexity of these decisions. What are the key questions clients are asking for assistance around the energy transition? What are key decision making frameworks that are evolving? What are some of the key learnings that can been gleamed from S&P Global Commodity Insights consulting?

Tuesday, 7 March

  • 10:30am - 11:15am (CST) / 07/mar/2023 04:30 pm - 07/mar/2023 05:15 pm

    S&P Global | The Flaw of Averages: How Detailed Emissions Data Lead to Better Insights
    In this Lyceum, we will discuss how S&P Global Commodity Insights leverages its deep upstream data, emissions modeling expertise, and data capabilities to produce the most granular GHG emissions estimates. Then, using the North Sea and the Williston Basin as examples, we will show how having granular data and distributions can drive insights into not only the level of emissions, but also critical factors and relationships that help to explain the how and why of the state of emissions.
  • 01:30pm - 02:00pm (CST) / 07/mar/2023 07:30 pm - 07/mar/2023 08:00 pm

    Confidence in GHG Estimation
    Credible emissions data is required to enable the market to incorporate emissions into everyday business decisions. The quality of GHG estimates vary, and reliability—particularly around fugitive methane emissions—is also a remaining uncertainty. Meanwhile inconsistencies between corporate reporting approaches can also limit the usefulness of these data sets. What is the state of carbon accounting today? What steps need to occur to improve both our understanding of these datasets and usefulness of information being provided to the market?
  • 03:15pm - 03:55pm (CST) / 07/mar/2023 09:15 pm - 07/mar/2023 09:55 pm

    Canadian Oil Sands: Pathways to Net Zero
    Upstream Oil & Gas
    The Canadian oil sands—the fourth-largest source of supply globally, and the world’s largest source of heavy oil—has announced an ambitious new plan to decarbonize, advancing critical new technologies, while collaborating to advance one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects globally. What is the oil sands outlook through transition? What role will CCS play in the future of the industry? Will the Canadian oil sands be able to compete through the energy transition and dramatically change their emission profile? 

Wednesday, 8 March

  • 07:15am - 08:20am (CST) / 08/mar/2023 01:15 pm - 08/mar/2023 02:20 pm

    Sustainability in Canadian Energy

    Gas & LNG
    Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria has become a key consideration in strategic decisions, particularly the risks and opportunities associated with the “E.” A company’s approach to ESG, and particularly emissions, can impact its access to capital. What has been the experience in the Canadian Energy sector—from hydro to hydrocarbons? How has the sector responded and what lessons can be shared? How will ESG considerations shape the future of Canadian energy?
  • 11:55am - 12:45pm (CST) / 08/mar/2023 05:55 pm - 08/mar/2023 06:45 pm

    Curbing Emissions: What is the role of oil and gas companies?
    Panel Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability
    Society is pressing companies and products to compete on carbon, but no one knows precisely what this means, what factors differentiate the winners, or which emission metric will matter the most—absolute or intensity. As the world transitions, what role will oil and gas companies play? How will companies compete on carbon? How will these companies adapt—decarbonizing, moving to alternative energy sources, or by building entirely new product and businesses. What does the pathway to net zero for oil and gas look like?
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