Taking on the world's toughest energy challenges.™
Energy is a resource of fundamental importance. It is essential to our way of life, to economic growth and, indeed, to survival itself. At Imperial, we take our responsibility as a provider of energy very seriously. It is a responsibility that extends from the way we look for new energy to the way it is used.

Given that the global demand for energy is expected to grow by as much as 60 percent more than the year 2000 by 2030, we face a considerable energy challenge. Imperial will continue to play a major role in meeting this growing demand in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible. We are well positioned to meet this challenge.

Here are some of the ways that Imperial is taking on the world's toughest energy challenges.

Science education
Supporting tomorrow's workforce today.
Finding ways to meet the world's growing demand for energy will take a number of technological breakthroughs. And education has a powerful multiplier effect on human progress. That's why Imperial Oil invests in a wide range of educational programs that spark Canadian students' interest and excitement in science, mathematics and technology.

During 2006, Imperial provided over $12 million in charitable contributions to Canadian communities, education and environmental initiatives. More than one-quarter of the support provided was directed towards education. By supporting education, we are able to contribute to a community's and the country's economic development and growth and to its ability to sustain itself and prosper. The many educational initiatives we support include:

Let's Talk Science
A national program, Let's Talk Science builds student interest in science and enhances science education through classroom workshops, teacher enrichment and research.

Inquire! Invent! Innovate! (I3)
A program of the Learning Partnership (through which business, government and educators work together to strengthen education), I3 challenges grade 7 and 8 students to design and produce a technological item that has a useful function.

Esso Math Camps
Run by the Canadian Mathematical Society, these camps provide mathematical enrichment for talented junior and senior high school students across Canada.

Canadian Association for Student Robotics
We support two programs offered by this association: the Greater Toronto Regional Robotics Competition, which challenges junior and senior high school students to design and build a working robot; and Lego League, in which elementary students design and build robots using Lego robotics technology.

Lambton Education Foundation
Focused on enhancing science education, the Sarnia-region foundation supports elementary science programs by providing science kits for hands-on learning, an Adopt-a-Scientist program and science resource centres.

University programs to strengthen education in science, math and technology
We support a variety of programs at 15 universities designed to increase students' interest in science, math and technology, to help provide teachers with the resources and skills they need to teach these subjects, and generally to improve such education in Canada.

Junior Achievement
Designed to develop business and life skills through hands-on experience, Junior Achievement operates across the country. Not only does Imperial provide financial support, but dozens of its employees volunteer with the organization.

As we continue seeking new ways to meet the world's energy needs, science is what will help us satisfy them. And it is our future workforce whose brainpower, ingenuity and breakthroughs will define what we do to meet tomorrow's energy needs. As we see it, the next generation of scientific discoveries will only come if there's a next generation of scientists.

Advanced energy research
Leading energy research and technology development to meet tomorrow's needs.
The world needs more energy and lower emissions. Accomplishing both of these creates one of the world's toughest energy challenges; new technology will help us overcome the challenge. That is why Imperial is an industry leader in the development and use of technology, and a major supporter of research into more efficient and environmentally responsible ways to meet growing energy needs. 

Some of the research we are exploring includes:

Imperial Oil - Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation
In 2004, we committed to contribute $10 million over five years to support the creation of a new research centre at the University of Alberta. The focus of the new centre is to find more efficient, economically viable and environmentally responsible ways to develop Canada's oil sands, one of the largest crude-oil deposits in the world. This is the largest industry grant ever received by the university's faculty of engineering.

Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRAC)
In 2004, Imperial announced that it would provide $200,000 over the next five years to support petroleum research and technology development in Atlantic Canada by PRAC, a not-for-profit, public-private partnership founded in 1999. Research is critical to the continued growth and success of the offshore energy industry. The contribution extends the company's previous five-year funding commitment.

Toyota Motor Corporation and Caterpillar Inc. partnership
Through our association with Exxon Mobil Corporation, we are involved in a partnership with Toyota Motor Corporation and Caterpillar Inc. dedicated to developing advanced engine and fuel systems that could increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP)
In addition to our own research and industrial partnerships, we are contributing to Stanford University's GCEP . The project is a major long-term research program designed to accelerate the development of commercially viable technologies that would allow global energy demand to be met while leading to dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions.

We will continue investing in research and the development of technology that will find and produce the energy that the world needs, today and tomorrow.

Energy efficiency
Reducing energy to produce energy.
As the world's demand for energy continues to grow, every effort to improve efficiency counts. Improving efficiency both reduces emissions and conserves energy for other current and future uses. That's why Imperial is committed to reducing energy use at our facilities and supporting the application of efficiency measures wherever energy is consumed.

Some of the ways we work to reduce our own use of energy include:

• Using an international set of best practices and benchmarks to identify measures that can be taken to improve the energy efficiency of facilities. Since 2002, the overall energy efficiency of our refineries has improved by four percent.
• Investing $250 million over the past several years to build two cogeneration facilities, one at Cold Lake and the other at our Sarnia site. Cogeneration is a clean and efficient method of producing electricity and steam at the same time, and uses 30 to 50 per cent less energy than traditional methods of producing electricity and steam. Together, the two facilities have the capacity to produce 265 megawatts of electric power.

The efficient use of energy provides the dual benefits of meeting energy needs while lowering emissions. At Imperial, we understand that increased efficiency is good for the environment and our business, and will help meet tomorrow's needs.