After decades of unfulfilled climate promises, the National Inventory Report1 released last month brought long-awaited news: Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are finally down.
However, one exception is hampering progress and threatening Canada’s ability to meet its climate goals: the oil and gas sector.
In 2021, Quebec led the way for the rest of the country by banning exploration for fossil fuels and joining the international Beyond Oil and Gas alliance. Today, Quebec MPs must pressure their parties to seize Canada’s greatest opportunity to tackle pollution: capping emissions from the oil and gas sector.
This sector, which represents 5% of Canada’s GDP, has long been the most polluting in the country. In 2021, it was responsible for 28% of national emissions. This figure could even be underestimated according to a recent study. While other sectors such as electricity and heavy industry have significantly reduced their emissions, those in the oil and gas sector have increased by 89% since 1990.
This summer, the federal government is expected to unveil regulations to cap emissions from the oil and gas sector: a crucial step that would place a decreasing limit on the amount of emissions companies are allowed to release in their domestic operations.
Oil and gas industries are working hard to weaken this policy, but Canadians see it through: new poll from Abacus Data2 shows that two out of three Canadians believe that industry should be required to reduce emissions in order for Canada to meet its climate goals.
All the regions are mostly in favor of capping emissions, but it is in Quebec that the enthusiasm is the strongest, with 68% of favorable opinions and only 14% of unfavorable opinions, followed closely by the provinces of Atlantic. Federal Liberal Party, Bloc Québécois and NDP voters are all strongly in favor of forcing oil and gas companies to cap their emissions (72%, 77% and 81% respectively).
The political lesson for Quebec MPs is this: an ambitious emissions cap is a win-win solution for the climate supported by Quebecers.
A fair and ambitious ceiling
For Canada to do its fair share in the fight against climate change, its oil and gas industries should reduce their emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels by 2030. At the very least, capping should be equivalent to the national target of a 45% reduction in emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.
Oil and gas companies are making big promises on the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. However, while they are raking in record profits, they are failing to invest in decarbonization and diversification.
With good reason, Quebecers are skeptical of these stalling tactics: only 12% believe that oil and gas companies will voluntarily reduce their emissions. Almost six times as many say they need regulation.
The oil and gas industries have a strong influence in Ottawa, and we risk getting ineffective and weak measures that let polluters off the hook. Our MPs need to make noise to get what their constituents want: a fair and ambitious cap on emissions.