Capping Potential Blowouts

The document asserts that Canada's oil and gas sector emissions, which comprise nearly one-third of the national total, are rising and threaten climate commitments. While supporting the proposed emissions cap, the brief warns that a 25 Mt cushion of 'compliance flexibilities'—specifically the Decarbonization Fund and internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs)—may allow firms to emit more without real reductions. It further cautions that domestic offsets should only be used if they are permanent and additional.

• Canada's oil and gas sector emissions are rising and account for nearly one-third of the country's total emissions, making a greenhouse gas emissions cap necessary to meet climate commitments.
• The proposed emissions cap includes a 25 Mt cushion of 'compliance flexibilities' that the author argues may weaken the target by allowing firms to emit more without achieving real emissions reductions.
• The brief specifically identifies the Decarbonization Fund and the use of Paris Agreement offsets under Article 6.2 internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) as ill-advised mechanisms that should be excluded from the cap.
• Domestic offsets are viewed as risky and should be limited to those that are permanent and additional to baseline scenarios.
• Combined public financial support from the governments of Canada and British Columbia for liquefied natural gas projects is projected to reach CAD 3.93 billion by 2030.

APA

Cosbey,, A. (2024). Capping Potential Blowouts. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/capping-potential-blowouts-canada

Chicago

Cosbey,, Aaron. Capping Potential Blowouts. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/capping-potential-blowouts-canada.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cosbey, |first1=Aaron |title=Capping Potential Blowouts |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=28 October 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/capping-potential-blowouts-canada |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cosbey2024capping, author = {Cosbey,, Aaron}, title = {{Capping Potential Blowouts}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/capping-potential-blowouts-canada}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }