Canada needs a cap on oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions

The Canadian Climate Institute and Net-Zero Advisory Body advocate for a federal emissions cap on the oil and gas sector, noting that emissions in this sector rose by nearly 20% between 2005 and 2019. They argue that a cap is necessary because current policies are insufficient and that failure to act risks 'locking-in' emissions through high-carbon projects. The authors propose three design priorities: ensuring absolute emissions reductions rather than just intensity improvements, maintaining a focus on low-cost methane reductions, and using market-based instruments to prevent emissions 'leakage' to other jurisdictions.

• Emissions from Canada's oil and gas sector increased by nearly 20 per cent between 2005 and 2019, diverging from the trends seen in other heavy industries like cement and steel.
• Current policies are insufficient to achieve Canada's climate goals, and continuing to invest in high-carbon 'dead-end' projects risks increasing the long-term cost of the net-zero transition for taxpayers.
• To be effective, the proposed emissions cap must prioritize absolute reductions over emissions intensity improvements and strictly limit the use of short-term carbon offsets.
• The emissions cap should complement, rather than replace, stringent methane regulations, as methane has a heat-trapping potential over 80 times that of carbon dioxide over 20 years and offers low-cost reduction opportunities.
• The government should utilize market-based instruments, such as carbon pricing, to minimize costs for firms and prevent the 'leakage' of emissions to jurisdictions with weaker climate policies.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Canada needs a cap on oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions. https://climateinstitute.ca/canada-needs-a-cap-on-oil-and-gas-sector-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Canada needs a cap on oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions. 2022. https://climateinstitute.ca/canada-needs-a-cap-on-oil-and-gas-sector-greenhouse-gas-emissions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Canada needs a cap on oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions |date=3 October 2022 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/canada-needs-a-cap-on-oil-and-gas-sector-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianclimateinstitute2022canada, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Canada needs a cap on oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions}}, publisher = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/canada-needs-a-cap-on-oil-and-gas-sector-greenhouse-gas-emissions/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }