Canada announces new methane emission standards for oil and gas sector

The new rules, which will take effect in 2028, aim to cut emissions by 75 percent by 2035.Published On 16 Dec 2025Canada has announced long-promised rules aimed at dramatically reducing methane emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector.The regulations, announced on Tuesday, lay out a path for Canada – the world’s fourth-largest oil producer – to cut by 2035 its overall emissions of the potent greenhouse gas by 75 percent over 2014 levels.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Korea Zinc plans $7.4bn US minerals refinery with Washington’s backinglist 2 of 4Why are French farmers objecting to EU-Mercosur trade deal?list 3 of 4US unemployment hits highest level since 2021 as labour market coolslist 4 of 4Trump’s approval rating drops to 39% amid economic concerns: US pollend of listThey fulfil a promise by Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen Canada’s existing methane rules, but allow for a slightly longer target timeframe than the previous draft rules announced under Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.Trudeau’s never-implemented rules called for a 75 percent reduction in methane emissions by 2030 and faced criticism from the oil and gas industry for being too difficult to achieve.While methane does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it can have 80 times the climate-warming impact of CO2 over a 20-year period.Oil and gas facilities are responsible for about half of Canada’s total methane emissions, according to the government. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is released directly into the atmosphere during oil and gas production, through practices such as venting and flaring, and can also escape through leaks in wells and other infrastructure.The new rules, which will take effect in 2028, prohibit venting with several exceptions and establish an inspection schedule for companies to find equipment leaks and repair them.Operators will have the option to design their own approaches to controlling methane as long as they meet the required methane intensity thresholds.