Will higher stringency requirements deliver greater  reductions? Unlikely. The challenge with the oil sands is that current technology is not yet available for deployment to a significant degree […] ill higher stringency requirements impact production and revenue? Very likely. Adding a regressive charge to the oil sands, one that bites harder at low prices than high prices, introduces additional cost and risk. This will impair recovery of marginal resource associated with existing projects. And make new projects less competitive from a portfolio perspective. And the higher costs associated with additional stringency can also impair the resources devoted to research.