Latest news with #emissionsReduction
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Could Canadian LNG cut global emissions? Experts say its complicated
Article content Canada's first liquefied natural gas cargoes will soon arrive on Asian shores, a milestone touted — and doubted — as a boon for global emissions-cutting efforts. Article content 'Cleaner energy around the world is what I think about when I think about LNG,' Shell Canada country chair Stastia West said in an onstage interview at the Global Energy Show in Calgary earlier this month. Article content Shell and four Asian companies are partners in LNG Canada in Kitimat, B.C., the first facility to export Canadian gas across the Pacific in an ultra-chilled liquid state using specialized tankers. A handful of other projects are either under construction or in development on the B.C. coast. Article content Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told the energy show that Canadian oil and gas exports can be an 'antidote' to the current geopolitical chaos. Article content 'And it comes with an added benefit: lower global emissions. By moving more natural gas, we can also help countries transition away from higher-emitting fuels, such as coal.' Article content Smith cited a recent Fraser Institute study that suggested if Canada were to double its natural gas production, export the additional supply to Asia and displace coal there, it would lead to an annual emissions cut of up to 630 million tonnes annually. Article content Article content The authors of the Fraser Institute study, released in May, argued that Canada's ability to reduce emissions elsewhere should be factored into its climate policy. Article content 'It is important to recognize that GHG emissions are global and are not confined by borders,' wrote Elmira Aliakbari and Julio Mejia. Article content 'Instead of focusing on reducing domestic GHG emissions in Canada by implementing various policies that hinder economic growth, governments must shift their focus toward global GHG reductions and help the country cut emissions worldwide by expanding its LNG exports.' Article content Some experts see a murkier picture. Article content Most credible estimates suggest that if liquefied natural gas were to indeed displace coal abroad, there would be some emissions reductions, said Kent Fellows, assistant professor of economics with the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. Article content But the magnitude is debatable. Article content 'Will all of our natural gas exports be displacing coal? Absolutely not. Will a portion of them be displacing coal? Probably, and it's really hard to know exactly what that number is,' he said. Article content Fellows said there's a good chance Canadian supplies would supplant other sources of gas from Russia, Eurasia and the Middle East, perhaps making it a wash emissions-wise. He said the Canadian gas could actually be worse from an emissions standpoint, depending on how the competing supply moves. LNG is more energy-intensive than pipeline shipment because the gas needs to be liquefied and moved on a ship. Article content Article content In China, every type of energy is in demand. So instead of displacing coal, LNG would likely just be added to the mix, Fellows added. Article content 'Anyone who's thinking about this as one or the other is thinking about it wrong,' Fellows said. Article content A senior analyst with Investors for Paris Compliance, which aims to hold Canadian publicly traded companies to their net-zero promises, said he doubts a country like India would see the economic case for replacing domestically produced coal with imported Canadian gas. Article content 'Even at the lowest price of gas, it's still multiple times the price,' said Michael Sambasivam. 'You'd need some massive system to provide subsidies to developing countries to be replacing their coal with a fuel that isn't even really proven to be much greener.' Article content And even in that case, 'it's not as if they can just flip a switch and take it in,' he added. Article content 'There's a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built to take in LNG as well as to use it. You have to build import terminals. You have to refit your power terminals.' Article content Article content What LNG would be competing head-to-head with, Sambasivam said, is renewable energy. Article content If there were any emissions reductions abroad as a result of the coal-to-gas switch, Sambasivam said he doesn't see why a Canadian company should get the credit. Article content 'Both parties are going to want to claim the emissions savings and you can't claim those double savings,' he said. Article content There's also a 'jarring' double-standard at play, he said, as industry players have long railed against environmental reviews that factor in emissions from the production and combustion of the oil and gas a pipeline carries, saying only the negligible emissions from running the infrastructure itself should be considered. Article content Devyani Singh, an investigative researcher at who ran for the Greens in last year's B.C. election, said arguments that LNG is a green fuel are undermined by the climate impacts of producing, liquefying and shipping it. Article content A major component of natural gas is methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time frame, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Methane that leaks from tanks, pipelines and wells has been a major issue that industry, government and environmental groups have been working to tackle. Article content 'Have we actually accounted for all the leakage along the whole pipeline? Have we accounted for the actual under-reporting of methane emissions happening in B.C. and Canada?' asked Singh. Article content Even if LNG does have an edge over coal, thinking about it as a 'transition' or 'bridge' fuel at this juncture is a problem, she said. Article content
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada's liquefied natural gas touted — and doubted — as a green 'transition' fuel
CALGARY — Canada's first liquefied natural gas cargoes will soon arrive on Asian shores, a milestone touted — and doubted — as a boon for global emissions-cutting efforts. "Cleaner energy around the world is what I think about when I think about LNG," Shell Canada country chair Stastia West said in an onstage interview at the Global Energy Show in Calgary earlier this month. Shell and four Asian companies are partners in LNG Canada in Kitimat, B.C., the first facility to export Canadian gas across the Pacific in an ultra-chilled liquid state using specialized tankers. A handful of other projects are either under construction or in development on the B.C. coast. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told the energy show that Canadian oil and gas exports can be an "antidote" to the current geopolitical chaos. "And it comes with an added benefit: lower global emissions. By moving more natural gas, we can also help countries transition away from higher emitting fuels, such as coal." Smith cited a recent Fraser Institute study that suggested if Canada were to double its natural gas production, export the additional supply to Asia and displace coal there, it would lead to an annual emissions cut of up to 630 million tonnes annually. "That's almost 90 per cent of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions each year," Smith said. The authors of the Fraser Institute study, released in May, argued that Canada's ability to reduce emissions elsewhere should be factored into its climate policy. "It is important to recognize that GHG emissions are global and are not confined by borders," wrote Elmira Aliakbari and Julio Mejía. "Instead of focusing on reducing domestic GHG emissions in Canada by implementing various policies that hinder economic growth, governments must shift their focus toward global GHG reductions and help the country cut emissions worldwide by expanding its LNG exports." Some experts see a murkier picture. Most credible estimates suggest that if liquefied natural gas were to indeed displace coal abroad, there would be some emissions reductions, said Kent Fellows, assistant professor of economics with the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. But the magnitude is debatable. "Will all of our natural gas exports be displacing coal? Absolutely not. Will a portion of them be displacing coal? Probably, and it's really hard to know exactly what that number is," he said. Fellows said there's a good chance Canadian supplies would supplant other sources of gas from Russia, Eurasia and the Middle East, perhaps making it a wash emissions-wise. He said the Canadian gas could actually be worse from an emissions standpoint, depending on how the competing supply moves. LNG is more energy intensive than pipeline shipment because the gas needs to be liquefied and moved on a ship. In China, every type of energy is in demand. So instead of displacing coal, LNG would likely just be added to the mix, Fellows added. "Anyone who's thinking about this as one or the other is thinking about it wrong," Fellows said. A senior analyst with Investors for Paris Compliance, which aims to hold Canadian publicly traded companies to their net-zero promises, said he doubts a country like India would see the economic case for replacing domestically produced coal with imported Canadian gas. "Even at the lowest price of gas, it's still multiple times the price," said Michael Sambasivam. "You'd need some massive system to provide subsidies to developing countries to be replacing their coal with a fuel that isn't even really proven to be much greener." And even in that case, "it's not as if they can just flip a switch and take it in," he added. "There's a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built to take in LNG as well as to use it. You have to build import terminals. You have to refit your power terminals." What LNG would be competing head-to-head with, Sambasivam said, is renewable energy. If there were any emissions reductions abroad as a result of the coal-to-gas switch, Sambasivam said he doesn't see why a Canadian company should get the credit. "Both parties are going to want to claim the emissions savings and you can't claim those double savings," he said. There's also a "jarring" double-standard at play, he said, as industry players have long railed against environmental reviews that factor in emissions from the production and combustion of the oil and gas a pipeline carries, saying only the negligible emissions from running the infrastructure itself should be considered. Devyani Singh, an investigative researcher at who ran for the Greens in last year's B.C. election, said arguments that LNG is a green fuel are undermined by the climate impacts of producing, liquefying and shipping it. A major component of natural gas is methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time frame, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Methane that leaks from tanks, pipelines and wells has been a major issue that industry, government and environmental groups have been working to tackle. "Have we actually accounted for all the leakage along the whole pipeline? Have we accounted for the actual under-reporting of methane emissions happening in B.C. and Canada?" asked Singh. Even if LNG does have an edge over coal, thinking about it as a "transition" or "bridge" fuel at this juncture is a problem, she said. "The time for transition fuels is over," she said. "Let's just be honest — we are in a climate crisis where the time for transition fuels was over a decade ago." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2025. Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press
Reuters
20-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil to push for corporate, local government climate targets at COP30
BRASILIA, June 20 (Reuters) - COP30 president Brazil on Friday proposed expanding emissions reduction commitments to include pledges from companies, states, and cities, aiming to bolster global climate efforts following the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Brazilian diplomats preparing for the climate summit have been working closely with the U.N. to encourage countries to submit updated targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by September, after many missed the February deadline. The Paris accord, in which almost all nations agreed to limit warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, requires countries to submit such targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and update them every few years. In a letter released Friday, COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago proposed widening the path for reducing emissions by creating a "global NDC" that would incorporate targets from various actors, not just countries, to transform the Global Stocktake - the process for reviewing Paris Agreement progress. "Our aim is to bring a new dynamic to global climate action, aligning the efforts made by businesses, civil society and all levels of government in coordinated action," Lago wrote, proposing the term "GDC," or "globally determined contribution," for the expanded initiative. While Lago did not explicitly frame the initiative as a response to U.S. policy changes, he acknowledged it would allow participation from U.S. companies and local governments that have kept their commitment to help curb climate change despite the Trump administration's formal exit from the Paris Agreement. "Our action agenda is opening up a lot of space for the U.S. side that wants to participate," Lago said, adding the proposal would also encourage countries with conservative emissions targets to be more ambitious. The Brazilian diplomat said private sector actors often move faster on climate action than governments, which are vulnerable to complex considerations such as the role of oil companies in spurring economic growth or the costs of transforming electricity grids. Dan Ioschpe, a Brazilian businessman appointed as COP30's "climate champion," said the initiative would provide clarity for non-state actors to align with Paris Agreement goals. "Not only in the United States, but in general in countries where the national government is not so involved in the issue, we are seeing governors, mayors, and the private sector extremely involved," Ioschpe said. COP30, to be hosted in the Amazonian city of Belem in November, marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris accord.
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec dials back emissions projections due to global uncertainty
The Quebec government is scaling back its projections for greenhouse gas emissions reductions due to the Trump administration. A report published Thursday by the province's Environment Department says the current U.S. government has created a 'challenging environment for advancing climate action.' It points in particular to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs, which it says have slowed down business investment, including in decarbonization. It also says the administration's attempts to challenge carbon pricing mechanisms in various U.S. states were 'exerting downward pressure on market prices.' 'The economic and political uncertainty caused by the new U.S. federal administration ... does not allow the deployment of measures as quickly and effectively as planned,' the report says. The government now estimates that measures being adopted in Quebec to reduce emissions will account for 65 per cent of the cuts needed to reach the province's 2030 emissions target, down from a projected 67 per cent last year. Quebec is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37.5 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2030. That's a drop of about 30 million tonnes from projected emissions in the absence of climate policies. The new report is an annual update on the province's progress toward meeting that goal. It estimates that planned measures will cut emissions by 19.4 million tonnes in 2030, a slight drop from last year's projections. The document also says the Canadian government's decision to scrap the federal consumer carbon price in April could harm the competitiveness of Quebec businesses. 'Uncertainty remains regarding the actions that will be taken by the federal government to combat climate change,' it reads. Quebec has so far maintained its own cap-and-trade carbon pricing system, which is linked with California's system. The report says Quebec's carbon price is a major driver of emissions reductions in the province, and revenue from the carbon market is an important source of funding for other climate measures in the government's plan. The report highlights $10.1 billion in planned government spending over the next five years, much of it to reduce emissions from transportation, industry and housing. It says new initiatives under development could lead to further emissions cuts and could get the province to between 67 and 72 per cent of its 2030 target. Despite dialling back its projections, the government says greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 0.9 million tonnes in Quebec between 2022 and 2023, and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The report also says there was a record number of electric-vehicle sales in Quebec in 2024, with more than 125,000 new registrations. Zero-emission vehicle sales made up nearly 31 per cent of light-duty vehicle sales that year, it says, and there were 375,000 electric vehicles on the road in Quebec last December. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
ABC News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
NT government backflips on 2030 emissions reduction target promise
The Northern Territory government has revealed it will not implement a 2030 emissions reduction target that it promised before the last NT election. The Country Liberal Party (CLP) committed to a 43 per cent reduction in the NT's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, six weeks out from the 2024 territory election. Then in opposition, the CLP's policy was in contrast to Territory Labor, which did not promise a 2030 emissions reduction target. Both major parties went into the election promising net zero emissions by 2050. At the time, the CLP was lauded by the Environment Centre NT for having "the strongest climate policy" of the two major parties. But in NT budget estimates on Wednesday, Environment Minister Josh Burgoyne said the CLP government had not adopted its promised 2030 emissions target. "[The 2030 target] is not current government policy," he said. "There's the [overarching] target of that net zero by 2050, which has yet to change." Under Australia's commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change, the country is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030. While in opposition, the CLP also supported Labor's legislated 50 per cent renewable energy target, but scrapped that in March. During a CLP central council meeting at the weekend, party delegates passed a motion supporting the abandonment of net zero and a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. In a social media post, CLP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said the "current impact of these polices" did not "justify their burden of everyday Aussies". "It's high time we did something about it," she said. "While it's important to steward our country and environment well, that should not come at the cost of our economy and way of life." However, when asked in budget estimates about the central council meeting motion, Mr Burgoyne said the NT government was still committed to net zero. "Our position on net zero emissions has not changed since the position we took to the election," he said. "There's been no formal information provided by my department in regards to a changing in regards to net zero." During budget estimates, the NT government's executive director of environment, Paul Purdon, said the department was finalising a "first-look" assessment of climate risks in the territory. Mr Purdon said the assessment would be focused on future liveability in the NT, looking at "themes" such as community health and wellbeing, economic sustainability and natural disaster readiness. Asked why there was a lack of money for climate mitigation measures allocated in the NT budget in May, Mr Burgoyne said the assessment first needed to be finalised. "We need to first assess those risks, deal with the issues which we face here in the NT, and ensure our government, through our departments, are dealing with them in the best way possible," he said.
