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

A joint statement by the Environmental Defense Fund, For Our Kids, and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment criticizes a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canadian federal government and the Alberta government. The groups argue that the MOU's timeline for methane reduction represents a significant retreat from previous climate commitments and risks economic losses.

• The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canadian federal and Alberta governments commits to establishing a methane equivalency agreement by April 1, 2026, targeting a 75% reduction in emissions relative to 2014 levels by 2035.
• The signing groups view the MOU as a five-year delay compared to the federal Liberals' 2021 promise to achieve a 75% reduction in oil and gas methane by 2030.
• The statement asserts that Canada is falling behind other jurisdictions and international commitments, noting that Canada and allies like France, Germany, Japan, and the UK recently agreed to a near-zero oil and gas methane target including ending routine venting and flaring by 2030. Additionally, British Columbia has committed to a near-zero emissions standard by 2035, and U.S. states New Mexico and Colorado have long-standing regulations stronger than Canada's draft 2030 regulation.
• The document highlights economic costs associated with methane leaks and the potential lossS lost opportunities. In Alberta, methane leaks have resulted in $671 million in wasted natural gas and over $120 million in lost royalties and uncollected corporate taxes for the provincial government. The statement claims that a draft regulation could have created 34,000 jobs and that a 75% reduction is achievable at an average cost of $11/tco2-e using current technologies.

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} }