Updated Nationally Determined Contribution

Pursuant to its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (“NDC”) under the Paris Agreement, Canada has committed to reduce emissions by 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2035, building on the 2030 target of 40-45% below 2005 levels. Canada also aims to achieve net-zero by 2050. The NDC covers the following GHGs: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride.

In relation to reduction in methane emissions, the NDC highlights the following initiatives undertaken by Canada:

• Membership in the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. 
• Founding of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which works to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants that cause significant near-term climate change, such as methane.
• Policies and measures to reduce pollution from the oil and gas sector, including the Methane Regulations, the Clean Fuel Regulations, and a proposed cap-and-trade system applied to upstream oil and gas activities. 
• Release of the Methane Strategy in September 2022, with the objective of reducing domestic methane emissions by more than 35% by 2030, and a commitment of 75% reduction in methane emissions from the oil and gas sector from 2012 levels by 2030.
• Development of research and a regulatory framework to nearly eliminate all methane emissions (including those from coal, wood waste, oil and gas, and forestry) by 2035.
• Funding of methane detection and monitoring on a national scale and collaboration with provinces and territories to enhance the measurement and monitoring of methane emissions to improve inventories, target tracking and further policy development.
• Collaboration on an integrated, national methane detection and quantification programme leveraging data collected through industry reporting requirements. 

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