The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, today launched the Government of Canada’s consultations to seek input from the provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, industry, and interested stakeholders to inform the design of tougher regulations to achieve at least a 75 percent reduction in methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 2030.

“Reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is one of the fastest, least expensive steps we can take to achieve our climate goals here in Canada and internationally under the Global Methane Pledge. More ambitious action on methane emissions can help spur clean technology innovations, improve air quality to reduce smog, and provide Canada’s oil and gas sector with an opportunity to showcase its leadership in responsible energy production.”

– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Reducing methane—a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide—is critical to achieving our emissions reductions goals. Our government is committed to reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by developing and deploying clean technologies and best practices at home and abroad.”

– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and climate pollutant with a global warming potential more than 86 times greater than carbon dioxide.

• The oil and gas sector is Canada’s largest industrial emitter of methane. It currently accounts for about 21 percent of the oil and gas sector’s emissions and 13 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

• The International Energy Agency (IEA) has made it clear that lowering methane emissions from oil and gas operations is one of the best near-term opportunities for limiting the worst impacts of climate change. The IEA has called on countries and companies to reduce methane emissions from the sector by more than 70 percent from 2020 levels in 2030.

• Momentum around the world to reduce methane emissions is growing. The United States recently published more stringent proposed rules, and the oil and gas industry is doing its part too. The global members of the Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative have all committed to strive towards near zero methane emissions from their oil and gas assets by 2030.

• Canada is uniquely well positioned to move forward with this action. In December 2021, Environment and Climate Change Canada provided an update that Canada is on track to meet its 2025 methane reduction target of 40 to 45 percent below 2012 levels.

• The Government of Canada’s $750 million Emissions Reduction Fund is supporting capital investments, clean technology deployment and research to reduce methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector.

• Reducing methane emissions will decrease ozone formation and can prevent over 200,000 premature deaths each year, hundreds of thousands of asthma-related emergency room visits, and over 20 million tonnes of crop losses a year by 2030.

• Previous methane regulations published by Canada in 2018 were estimated to reduce methane emissions at an average cost of $17 per tonne of GHGs without accounting for the benefits of spurring clean technology development and innovation, which can be exported to other countries.

Related products

• Discussion Paper – Reducing Methane Emissions from Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector

Associated links

• Canada publishes progress report towards 2025 methane emissions reduction target and launches consultations on 2030 target
• Canada confirms its support for the Global Methane Pledge and announces ambitious domestic actions to slash methane emissions
• The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative – Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative

Kaitlin Power
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-230-1557
Kaitlin.Power@ec.gc.ca

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