Canada-Alberta MOU: A Disappointing Retreat on Oil & Gas Methane Regulation

The statement argues that the Canada-Alberta MOU represents a 'climb down' in climate leadership by pushing the 75% methane reduction target to 2035, contradicting a previous 2030 promise. The authors claim this delay threatens thousands of jobs in the methane mitigation industry, ignores more stringent standards adopted by the EU, US states, and other G7 allies, and results in significant economic waste from leaked natural gas.

• The Canada-Alberta MOU pledges to establish a methane equivalency agreement by April 1, 2026, with a target of reducing emissions by 75% relative to 2014 levels by 2035, which the authors describe as a five-year delay from the federal government's 2021 promise to achieve this by 2030.
• The authors assert that the MOU undermines Canada's international commitments, specifically a recent agreement with allies including France, Germany, Japan, and the UK to reach a near-zero oil and gas methane target and end routine venting and flaring by 2030.
• The document highlights that other jurisdictions have adopted stricter standards, including British Columbia's 2035 near-zero emissions commitment, the EU's 2030 import standards for natural gas, and long-standing regulations in US states such as Colorado and New Mexico.
• Delaying methane regulations is presented as an economic loss, noting that Canada's draft regulation could have created 34,000 jobs and that methane leaks in Alberta have already cost the provincial government over $120 million in uncollected corporate taxes and lost royalties.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2025). Canada-Alberta MOU: A Disappointing Retreat on Oil & Gas Methane Regulation. https://cape.ca/press_release/canada-alberta-mou-a-disappointing-retreat-on-oil-gas-methane-regulation/

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Canada-Alberta MOU: A Disappointing Retreat on Oil & Gas Methane Regulation. 2025. https://cape.ca/press_release/canada-alberta-mou-a-disappointing-retreat-on-oil-gas-methane-regulation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Canada-Alberta MOU: A Disappointing Retreat on Oil & Gas Methane Regulation |date=27 November 2025 |url=https://cape.ca/press_release/canada-alberta-mou-a-disappointing-retreat-on-oil-gas-methane-regulation/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2025canadaalberta, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Canada-Alberta MOU: A Disappointing Retreat on Oil \& Gas Methane Regulation}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/press_release/canada-alberta-mou-a-disappointing-retreat-on-oil-gas-methane-regulation/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }