Executives from some of Canada's largest oil and gas companies are expected to testify before a parliamentary committee on Thursday afternoon about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the sector.

CEOs and senior executives from Cenovus Energy Inc., Enbridge Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd., Shell Canada Ltd., and Suncor Energy Inc. are scheduled to appear via video before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

Their appearance follows a proposal by Laurel Collins, the environmental critic for the New Democratic Party, in April, which called for executives to appear before the committee to explain the impact of their companies on climate change.

Collins said on Thursday that Canadians are concerned about the increasing number of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, droughts, and "heat domes," as the climate warms.

Some Canadian oil and gas companies made record profits in 2022, with rising commodity prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the industry continues to generate healthy cash flows this year. Collins stated that companies can and should do more to mitigate the impact of the fossil fuel sector on the climate.

She told reporters, "We need an excess profits tax (on the oil and gas sector) to invest in climate solutions."

The oil and gas sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, accounting for nearly one-third of the country's total emissions, and it continues to rise, largely due to increased production from oil sands in Alberta.

The federal government has proposed a cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector, which the industry opposes.

Major oil sands companies have committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, but they have yet to make a final investment decision on their proposed joint venture for carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions.