Latest update December 25th, 2025 12:40 AM
Canada announces new methane emission standards for oil and gas sector
The new rules, which will take effect in 2028, aim to cut emissions by 75 percent by 2035.
Aljazeera – Canada has announced long-promised rules aimed at dramatically reducing methane emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector.
The regulations, announced on Tuesday, lay out a path for Canada – the world’s fourth-largest oil producer – to cut by 2035 its overall emissions of the potent greenhouse gas by 75 percent over 2014 levels.
They fulfil a promise by Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen Canada’s existing methane rules, but allow for a slightly longer target timeframe than the previous draft rules announced under Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian government said the new guidelines will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 304 million tonnes [File: Todd Korol/Reuters]
While methane does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it can have 80 times the climate-warming impact of CO2 over a 20-year period.
Oil and gas facilities are responsible for about half of Canada’s total methane emissions, according to the government. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is released directly into the atmosphere during oil and gas production, through practices such as venting and flaring, and can also escape through leaks in wells and other infrastructure.
The new rules, which will take effect in 2028, prohibit venting with several exceptions and establish an inspection schedule for companies to find equipment leaks and repair them.
Operators will have the option to design their own approaches to controlling methane as long as they meet the required methane intensity thresholds.
Total greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector continue to grow as production increases, and Canada is not expected to reach its target of cutting greenhouse gas output by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Carney, who has been criticised by environmentalists who see him as prioritising the economy over climate, recently rolled back some of Canada’s emissions policies to spur energy investment.
But on methane, the country has made progress. Previously enacted rules, which require industry to regularly inspect and repair equipment to reduce leaks, have helped put Canada on track to meet its previous methane commitment of a 40-45 percent reduction below 2012 levels by the end of 2025.
The Canadian government said the new rules will reduce emissions by 304 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, while reducing oil and gas production by just 0.2 percent between 2025 and 2035.
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