Canada’s oil and gas emissions, Anticipation on the forthcoming imposition of a cap.
The release of governmental initiatives aimed at regulating fossil fuel emissions is scheduled to occur during COP28.
The federal government has indicated that the anticipated framework for Canada’s oil and gas emissions cap could be revealed imminently. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, currently attending COP28 in Dubai, expressed confidence on Friday that the framework would be presented by the conclusion of the conference. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously announced the Liberal government’s commitment to implementing emissions limits for the oil and gas sector during a COP summit in 2021. Guilbeault cited recent legal challenges as one of the factors contributing to the government’s extended timeline for formulating the framework.
“The Supreme Court decision on impact assessment and the federal court ruling on plastics… has meant that we have to make sure that it tackles pollution without infringing on provincial jurisdiction,” he said.
Recently, the Supreme Court declared that a federal law overseeing environmental impact assessments encroached on provincial jurisdiction. Simultaneously, a Federal Court ruling invalidated Environment Canada’s classification of all plastic manufactured items as “toxic.”
Despite Ottawa’s emissions modeling and external predictions, Canada is currently falling short of its emissions reduction objectives. Since 2005, substantial cuts in emissions have been achieved in the electricity sector, with some marginal reductions observed in other sectors. However, emissions from the oil and gas industry have increased in tandem with production.
According to the Canadian Climate Institute, their independent modeling suggests that implementing an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector is imperative to meet the country’s climate targets. However, simply imposing a cap is insufficient, as emphasized by one of the institute’s directors, Anna Kanduth, during a recent media briefing.
Kanduth suggested that combining an emissions cap with enhanced methane regulations could contribute to Canada achieving its 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent below 2005 levels. In October, Canada committed to expediting its methane emission reduction plan for the oil and gas sector, aiming for a reduction of at least 75 percent below 2012 levels.
“Reducing emissions from the oil and gas is critical for bringing Canada’s 2030 targets within reach,” Kanduth said. “And an emissions cap alongside those deeper regulations could do just that.”
Prior to arriving in Dubai, Guilbeault suggested that Canada might unveil more robust methane regulations during COP28. Additionally, he mentioned collaborative efforts with Washington on this matter. Methane, recognized as one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming, underscores the importance of such regulatory measures.
Efforts to eradicate methane emissions from landfills and oil and gas operations are widely acknowledged as a straightforward and essential measure to restrict global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, aligning with the target established by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
“Collectively, globally, if we are ambitious in our efforts to tackle methane emissions, we could shave off almost 1 C of potential warming by 2100,” Guilbeault told reporters Friday.
