Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday confirmed his government’s commitment to cap and then reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry, as part of the 26e United Nations climate conference (COP26). Ottawa has at the same time mandated its “Advisory Group for Carbon Neutrality” to present it with means of action to tackle this heavyweight in Canada’s carbon footprint.
Speaking at the COP26 rostrum, in front of an audience of a hundred political leaders from around the world, Mr. Trudeau assured that his newly re-elected government would take the necessary measures to stop the continued growth in emissions from the production of oil and natural gas. He made this commitment during the election campaign.
“We will cap emissions from the oil and gas sector today and ensure that they decline tomorrow at the pace and scale needed to reach net zero by 2050. This is no small task for one. major oil and gas producing country. This is a big step that is absolutely necessary, ”Mr. Trudeau made Monday at COP26, where he is accompanied by the Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault.
Against the backdrop of growing oil sands production, emissions from the oil and gas industry have nearly doubled since 1990, from 102 million tonnes to 191 million tonnes in 2019. The sector accounts for 26% of all Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even ahead of the transportation sector.
The Trudeau government therefore believes that the country must act to reduce the pollution caused by this sector if it wishes to meet its international climate commitments, namely to reduce GHG emissions by 40% to 45% by 2030, compared to the level of 2005.
Advisory group
In a context where the fossil fuel industry wishes to increase production over the next few years, and in particular the production of natural gas, Minister Steven Guilbeault and his colleague from Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, sent a letter on Monday to ” Consultative Group for Carbon Neutrality ”. It will have to present “an independent opinion on the commitment we have made to cap and reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector”, reads this letter.
In particular, Ottawa would like to receive advice on the implementation of “quantitative targets” for reducing GHG emissions, which could be revised every five years. “Milestones” could be specified for 2025 and 2030, so that “the reduction levels are ambitious and achievable and that the oil and gas sector provides a significant contribution to the achievement of the country’s climate targets of 2030 and 2050 in part of a people-centered approach for a just transition for workers and communities ”.
“To achieve carbon neutrality, we must start by ensuring that the sector’s emissions do not increase. Canada’s commitment to cap and reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector is a world first among major energy producers, ”the letter sent to the committee also recalls.
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For Équiterre, the Liberals’ commitment must be followed by details to demonstrate its relevance. “We would like to see a plan and a timetable based on realistic solutions that reduce emissions and production. The devil is in the details and we hope that this plan will not revolve around inefficient technologies or carbon offsets that allow the continued exploitation of fossil fuels, ”argued Monday its climate policy analyst, Émile Boisseau- Bouvier.
Last week, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault specified that the “cap” would concern GHG emissions, and not the production of this major economic sector for the Canadian economy. Earlier this year, the Trudeau government also authorized 40 new offshore oil drilling. These will be carried out with the goal of doubling Newfoundland’s oil production after 2030.
The industry is already working on projects, including carbon capture and storage, that could allow it to continue growing production. The federal government is funding certain development projects for this technology, which was mentioned a few times Monday at COP26 in Glasgow.
Already real impacts
At the COP26 forum on Monday, Justin Trudeau also spoke of the fact that the impacts of the climate crisis are already being felt in Canada, recalling the case of the devastating fires that struck the village of Lytton, in British Columbia. , last summer.
“What happened in Lytton can happen, has happened elsewhere, and could happen again, anywhere,” he said. “How many more signs do we need?” Now is the time for us to step up our efforts – and do it together. […] As we are all working together to end the COVID-19 pandemic, we must apply this same urgency to act against the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity, ”he said.
Mr. Trudeau also stressed that Canada has pledged $ 5.3 billion to help developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the already very real consequences of the upheavals in the world. global climate.
On Monday, at the COP26 platform, several leaders of these countries recalled that the commitment of rich countries to pay each year, from 2020, a total of 100 billion dollars, was still not completed. While this pledge was made at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, around $ 20 billion is still missing from the pledges. This is also a major issue in the climate negotiations which will be held until November 12 in Scotland.
With The Canadian Press