Major industries must report greenhouse gas emissions

The Government of Canada has announced that Canada’s major greenhouse gas emitters will be required to make emissions reports.

Many of those affected by this decision already report their greenhouse gas emissions through mandatory or voluntary initiatives in a number of provinces. Ontario already has mandatory reporting, and Alberta is soon expected to introduce required reporting.

All jurisdictions will continue to collaborate in developing a single, harmonized, compulsory system with multi-phase implementation to ensure it is in place by the start of the first Kyoto Protocol commitment period between 2008 and 2012.

In the first phase, only facilities emitting over 100 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases annually must report. This includes major industrial facilities producing electricity, heat or steam, using fossil fuels, certain power generation facilities, integrated steel mills, metal smelting and refining facilities, petroleum refineries and chemical producers.

"A comprehensive system to track and publish GHG emissions is a basic part of any long-term strategy to address climate change," Matthew Bramley, director of Climate Change with the Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development, said in a press release. "This is a good start, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders as the reporting system is expanded and refined in the future."

The 2004 emissions reports are due on June 1, 2005. Consultations on further development of a harmonized, "single-window" mandatory greenhouse gas reporting system will continue through federal-provincial-territorial management with input from industry and other stakeholders.

For additional information, visit www.ec.gc.ca.