Canada Needs Stronger Methane Regulations for the Oil and Gas Sector

A flarestack. Flaring is one source of fugitive methane emissions.

The federal government has announced that it’s prepared to introduce new methane regulations that could limit emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector.

Methane is a highly-potent greenhouse gas that’s 86 times worse for the climate than carbon dioxide, and in 2021 Canada’s oil and gas facilities accounted for around 40% of total methane emissions.

Reducing methane is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to fight climate change, and this could be a key opportunity – if done right.

Given the urgency of our climate crisis, Canada has every reason to set a more ambitious target of near-zero methane emissions by 2025 – rather than near 75% by 2030. We simply don’t have any time left for delay and uncertainty.

Methane emissions from oil and gas have historically been undercounted in Canada, with serious consequences for the climate. That’s why Canada’s methane regulations must include transparent and verifiable monitoring and reporting requirements to measure progress, and ensure that companies are taking action.

Together, let’s use this important opportunity to take effective action for the climate.

Send a letter today and tell the Canadian government to deliver strong, ambitious and effective methane regulations.

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Minister

Jonathan

Wilkinson

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Minister

Steven

Guilbeault

Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Dear {user_data~Title} {contact_data~lastName},

As someone that is deeply worried about the climate crisis and the challenge that it presents for future generations, I’m calling on our government to act with urgency by introducing strong, fast and effective methane emission reduction regulations for Canada’s oil and gas sector.

I applaud Canada’s support for the Global Methane Pledge, and our recent commitment to expand the management of fugitive methane emissions in our national oil and gas operations. However, against a backdrop of extreme weather events, the window for preventing runaway climate change is closing. Last year, Canada experienced its worst wildfire season in recorded history, followed by an unusually warm winter and low snowpack levels that indicate severe drought this summer.

Given the exceptional near-term benefits of methane emission reductions, as well as the accelerating climate impacts we’ve witnessed that elicit an emergency response, we strongly recommend a more ambitious target of reaching near-zero methane emissions by 2025 (rather than at least 75% by 2030).

Oil and gas facilities are currently the largest industrial emitters in Canada, accounting for about 40% of our national methane emissions in 2021. Methane is 86 times worse for the climate than CO₂ and although it's been widely acknowledged, outdated routine practices have allowed for fugitive and venting emissions to be released at every stage of oil and gas operations. This presents an innovation opportunity for Canada’s fossil fuel sector to ensure that industry standards aren’t contradicting national efforts to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Methane emissions from oil and gas have historically been seriously undercounted, with severe consequences for the climate. A peer-reviewed study in Environmental Science and Technology in 2021 found that the B.C. oil and gas sector could be emitting more than twice the amount of methane previously reported¹. Just last year, a study performed by one of Canada’s top climate labs revealed that methane emissions from Alberta’s energy industry had been underestimated by nearly 50%².

With this in mind, Canada’s methane regulations must include strong measurement, monitoring, and reporting requirements to evaluate progress and to ensure that companies are taking the appropriate actions.

This includes:

• Comprehensive, monthly leak detection and repair (LDAR) surveys at all sites. It is well-established that equipment leaks are unpredictable, showing the need for frequent and independent inspections to identify and repair leaks.

• Making sure that provinces meet or exceed these regulations through stronger equivalency agreements, particularly in oil and gas producing provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. The federal government must be willing to reject proposed equivalent regulations that do not meet the standard set out in federal regulations.

• Top-down aerial surveys (satellite, airplane, helicopter, or drone) that are federally conducted on a regular basis to ensure that companies are complying with regulations. Studies show that top-down measurements can identify more leaks than on-site inspections and are necessary to perform concurrently.

• Upholding the Polluter Pays Principle, by ensuring oil and gas companies are responsible for bearing the cost of methane reductions.

Effective methane reductions would provide one of the fastest and lowest-cost methods towards ensuring near-term climate benefits. But, it’s critical that taxpayers are not responsible for bearing the cost of those delayed environmental protections. Canada must uphold the Polluter Pays Principle and its promise to end domestic public financing for fossil fuels.

As we face the accelerating and increasingly personal impacts of the unfolding climate emergency, Canadians are seeking accountable climate leadership and cooperation from the provinces. The federal government must actively defend this priority issue in the interest of all Canadians, and solidify our international reputation as climate leaders.

Please act fast to introduce strong and effective regulations to lower methane emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name} 
{user_data~Zip or Postal Code}

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1 - David R. Tyner and Matthew R. Johnson. Where the Methane Is—Insights from Novel Airborne LiDAR Measurements Combined with Ground Survey Data. Environmental Science & Technology 2021 55 (14), 9773-9783. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01572

2 - Conrad, B.M., Tyner, D.R., Li, H.Z. et al. A measurement-based upstream oil and gas methane inventory for Alberta, Canada reveals higher emissions and different sources than official estimates. Commun Earth Environ 4, 416 (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-01081-0

This comment is in regards to: Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 157, Number 50: Regulations Amending the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector). December 16, 2023 - February 14, 2024.

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