Emissions plan leaves oilpatch with uncertainty; cap on sector still in development

CALGARY – Canada’s oil and gas industry is still facing uncertainty in the wake of the federal government’s sweeping new emissions reduction plan.

The plan tabled in the House of Commons Tuesday lays out ways the country can reach its target of cutting emissions by 2030 to no more than 60 per cent of 2005 levels.

In it, the government says Canada’s oilpatch can reduce emissions by 31 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, or 42 per cent below 2019 levels.

But those numbers are not necessarily the target that will be set when the government unveils its pledged mandated cap on emissions from the sector.

The government is still currently consulting with the provinces, industry and other stakeholders to develop that cap.

Environmental groups say there is room for Canada to set a more ambitious cap for the oil and gas sector. They say the oil and gas sector can achieve the 31 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by using already existing technology, like methane reduction and carbon capture and storage.