Reporting greenhouse gas emissions

Information and guidance on reporting to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP).  

The Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2018 was published on January 19, 2019 in the Canada Gazette. The notice describes who must report and what information must be reported by June 1, 2019.

Facilities that meet certain criteria must report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by June 1 each year.

The 2017 data collection is complete. The Single Window system will remain open for submitting any new reports for 2017 and updates to previous years. We will post updates on the reporting system for 2018 GHG data collection here in the spring of 2019.  

The Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2017 describes who must report and what information they must report by June 1, 2018.

There are 3 significant changes in the reporting requirements for 2017.[SS1]

1. The reporting threshold was lowered from 50 000 tonnes  to 10 000 tonnes (10 kilotonnes). All facilities that emit 10 kilotonnes or more of GHGs in carbon dioxide equivalent units (CO₂ eq) per year must submit a report.
2. All facilities engaged in carbon capture, transport and storage (CCTS) must submit a report covering these activities for 2017, regardless of their annual GHG emissions.  They also must submit relevant years for the period of 2014 to 2016.
3. Expanded data and methodological requirements now apply to producers of lime, cement, iron and steel, and aluminum; and to facilities engaged in CCTS.

Companies that reported their facility emissions in the previous year must inform us  if any of their facilities do not meet the current year’s reporting criteria.

Reporting resources

Use the Single Window system to report your information. This system streamlines the reporting to national and various provincial jurisdictions, and helps reduce the reporting burden and overall costs to governments. Provincial partners using this system for GHG reporting include:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Ontario
• New Brunswick

The following links provide guidance for reporting to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program:

• Reporting greenhouse gas emissions data: technical guidance 2017: a comprehensive overview of the GHG emissions reporting requirements, including guidance for potential reporters to help determine if they are required to submit a report, the greenhouse gases and emission sources subject to reporting, along with general information on methods for calculating emissions and the required reporting format.
• Canada's Greenhouse Gas Quantification Requirements: a detailed guide to the quantification methods and expanded reporting requirements that apply to facilities cover under Phases 1 and 2 of the GHGRP expansion.
• Questions and Answers: answers to questions you may have regarding the GHGRP reporting requirements
• Access to Single Window system: log-in to the on-line reporting system to create and submit your GHG report
• Instructions for using the Single Window system: provides step by step instructions on how to report your greenhouse gas information using the Single Window system.

Information sessions

In April 2018, the GHGRP conducted several information sessions to assist facilities in understanding the 2017 reporting requirements and preparing their GHG reports. The sessions were held online through WebEx.

Two types of sessions were held:

1. the General Reporting Requirements information sessions presented an overview of the GHGRP and described the general reporting requirements (including the administrative and GHG emissions information to provide). These sessions were intended for facilities who may be reporting for the first time. A demonstration of our Single Window reporting system and steps to submit a GHG report was also given
2. the Expanded Reporting Requirements information sessions discussed the new requirements established through the GHGRP expansion for targeted sectors and activities (lime, cement, aluminium and iron and steel manufacturing, as well as carbon capture, transport and storage) and the provisional options for reporting. A demonstration of our Single Window reporting system was also given.

Recordings of the information sessions are available. To access these recordings and the associated slides, please contact us at ec.ges-ghg.ec@canada.ca.

Greenhouse gas reporting notices in the Canada Gazette

Under the GHGRP, a notice is published every year in Part I of the Canada Gazette. The notice describes who must report and what information must be reported.

Notices for previous years' reporting requirements covering 2004 to 2011 are available at Government of Canada Publications or can be requested from the GHGRP.

• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2018, January 19, 2019 PDF (1.8 MB)
• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2017, December 30, 2017 PDF (1.8 MB)
• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2016, December 10, 2016 PDF (4.14 MB)
• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2015, October 17, 2015 PDF (438 KB)
• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2014, October 11, 2014 PDF (1014 KB)
• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2013, November 2, 2013 PDF (1.69 MB)
• Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2012, September 22, 2012 PDF (2.68 MB)

Key changes that were made to federal reporting requirements in previous years included:

• updates to the global warming potential (GWP) values that facilities are required to use to assess whether they meet the specified reporting threshold and in reporting their emissions (issued in the 2013 Notice)
• a requirement to report facility latitude and longitude information (except pipeline transportation systems) (issued in the 2013 Notice)
• a reduction of the reporting threshold (from 100 kt to 50 kt of CO₂ eq.) and a further breakdown of specific emission source categories (issued in the 2009 Notice)