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441-01650 (Environment)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

WHEREAS:

  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned us repeatedly that rising temperatures over the next two decades will bring 'widespread devastation and extreme weather';

  • We are certainly feeling these impacts in Canada, today, with increased flooding, wildfires, and extreme temperatures;

  • Addressing this climate crisis requires a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The oil and gas sector is the largest and fastest growing source of emissions; and

  • In 2021, the federal government committed to 'cap and cut emissions from the oil and gas sector to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050'.

We, the undersigned, residents of Kingston and the Islands, call upon the Government of Canada to move forward, immediately, with bold emissions caps for the oil and gas sector that are comprehensive in scope and realistic in achieving the necessary targets that Canada has set to reduce emissions by 2030.

Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable STEVEN GUILBEAULT

The oil and gas sector is a major contributor to Canada's economy. It is also Canada's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and, as such, has a critical role to play in meeting the country's climate objectives.

As indicated in the 2030 Emission Reduction Plan (ERP), published in March 2022, a key element of the Government of Canada’s climate plan is to cap and cut GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector at a pace and scale necessary to contribute to Canada’s 2030 climate goals and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

On July 18, 2022, the Government of Canada published a discussion paper to launch formal engagement on two potential regulatory options to cap and reduce oil and gas sector GHG emissions and has subsequently engaged with provinces, territories, industry, Indigenous organizations, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to inform the approach. The Government of Canada expects to publish a framework on the design of the oil and gas emissions cap before the end of the year.

The emissions cap will build upon other significant actions the Government is taking to reduce GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector, including:

  • Canada’s Methane Strategy, which includes new requirements for the oil and gas sector to achieve methane reductions of at least 75% by 2030 from 2012 levels.
  • Carbon pollution pricing, which covers approximately 80% of GHG emissions in Canada, including from oil and gas. Currently, the minimum carbon pollution price is $65/tonne of GHG emissions, rising $15 per year to $170 in 2030.
  • Clean Fuels Regulations, finalized in 2022, will reduce emissions from liquid fossil fuels across the lifecycle—from extraction, through processing, distribution and end-use and incent low-carbon fuels and technologies.

 

 

 

Presented to the House of Commons
Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands)
September 21, 2023 (Petition No. 441-01650)
Government response tabled
November 3, 2023
Photo - Mark Gerretsen
Kingston and the Islands
Liberal Caucus
Ontario

45 signatures

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.