Upstream Methane Abatement Toolbox: Canada’s Methane Strategy

Overview

Led by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Canada’s Methane Strategy outlines measures to reduce domestic methane emissions by the year 2030 by more than 35% of 2020 levels. This federal strategy encompasses several “tools” that Canada has included in its contributions to the NPF Upstream Methane Abatement Toolbox, including the Emissions Reduction Fund, Canada’s Methane Regulations, and Carbon Pricing.

Canada’s Methane Strategy builds on commitments outline in the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and outlines how Canada will:

• Implement measures across sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, to reduce the largest sources of methane emissions;
• Strengthen the clean technology sector and provide tools to industry to achieve cost-effective methane emission reductions while creating good-paying jobs;
• Advance scientific knowledge and technical capacity to improve methane detection, measurement, and reporting;
• Meet international climate targets under the Paris Agreement and Global Methane Pledge; and
• Solidify its global leadership and provide funding, tools, and best practices for other countries to achieve emissions reductions.

Key points of interest

Implicated Parties

This strategy is focused on federal-level actions to reduce methane emissions, but also stresses the importance for international partners and domestic stakeholders (provinces, territories, industry, Indigenous groups, relevant sectors such as agriculture, etc.) to engage in complementary actions.

Impact

Actions taken under Canada’s Methane Strategy, both planned and already underway, are estimated to reduce Canada’s domestic methane emissions by over 35% by 2030, which would exceed Canada’s target of 30% set in the Global Methane Pledge.

Challenges

• Implementation – The Methane Strategy is not in itself an implementation tool. The actions identified under the Strategy reduce methane emissions, whereas the Strategy itself is a useful planning and information sharing tool on these actions and potential areas for future reduction opportunities.

Lessons Learned

This strategy leverages multiple cross-sectoral actions that culminate to achieve Canada’s methane reduction targets, which increases the overall effectiveness and likelihood of success. This approach also contributes to reducing emissions of other greenhouse gases, contributing to Canada’s net-zero goal by 2050.

Additional resources

• Canada releases Faster and Further: Canada’s Methane Strategy
• Faster and Further: Canada’s Methane Strategy