The Liberal government has introduced regulations aiming to reduce Canada’s methane emissions by 75 percent from 2014 levels by 2035.
“Clear, predictable regulations give industry certainty, attract investment, and ensure Canadian energy remains competitive in a world that is moving towards lower carbon production,” Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin told reporters on Dec. 16.
The new rules are more lenient than what was previously announced by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Those rules, which never came into effect, had called for a 75 percent reduction in methane emissions from 2012 levels by 2030.
The new Enhanced Methane Regulations expand on the 2018 methane regulations, giving oil and gas operators two ways to comply. They can either implement practices to prohibit methane venting and establish an inspection schedule to find and repair leaks, or they can design their own approaches to control methane emissions that meet federal standards. Dabrusin said this second pathway would require oil and gas companies to engage in “quite a bit of reporting and monitoring” of methane levels….