Statement by Aly Hyder Ali, Senior Program Manager, Oil and Gas
Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Today’s agreement-in-principle on methane equivalency is yet another delay by the Alberta and Canadian governments in taking action on one of the fastest and most affordable climate solutions available to us.
Canada already has methane regulations in place to cut methane pollution by 72 per cent by 2030, from 2012 levels. Instead of enforcing these rules, today’s announcement allows Alberta an additional five years, which is a dangerous and unnecessary concession, prompted by the deadlines set in the Alberta-Canada MOU. This is one of the many reasons why the Alberta-Canada MOU is a bad deal for everyone outside the oil patch.
Methane has a far greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide in the near term. However, reducing methane emissions is the lowest-cost, highest-impact climate action available. BC has shown us that the fossil fuel industry can stop methane leakage with no impact to their bottom line. There is no justification for the federal government to cave to Alberta by delaying their compliance obligation, which would result in pollution equal to roughly half of the cars on Canada’s roads.
To be clear, there is currently no finalized equivalency agreement, and there won’t be one for months to come. If governments in Canada are serious about economic competitiveness and climate leadership, then the solution is clear: enforce strong and consistent methane rules now, and ensure that Alberta meets the same standard as every other province.
Otherwise, Canada will tarnish its image as a global leader on methane, while other countries move forward and leave Canada behind.
Background Information:
- The Pembina Institute has modelled the impacts of this carve-out: 1.9 million tonnes of methane into the atmosphere, equivalent to 53 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over a 100 year period. This would be much higher over a 20 year period since methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the short term.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
