Fuel Life Cycle Assessment Model

List of recently released pre-publications (each with a 30 day comment period)

• Proposed update to the carbon intensity of natural gas – early notice (September 2023)
• Updated Technical Flow Properties and Technical Unit Groups (July 2023)
• New LCIA Method – Global Warming Potentials from AR6 (July 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for hydrogen alkaline electrolysis, hydrogen steam methane reforming without carbon capture and storage, biodiesel, and bioethanol (July 2023)

List of upcoming pre-publications^{Footnote 1}

• Updated crop datasets (Fall 2023)
• Updated natural gas dataset (Fall 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for hydrogen polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis (Fall 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for biodiesel – update with system expansion (Fall 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for bioethanol – update with system expansion (Fall 2023)
• New and updated transportation mode datasets (Winter 2023)
• New and updated N-fertilizer and ammonia datasets (Winter 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for hydrogen autothermal reforming (Winter 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for renewable natural gas (Winter 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for hydrogen steam methane reforming – update with carbon capture and storage (Winter 2023)
• New predefined fuel pathways for hydrogen gasification (Spring 2024)

STAC members

• Environment and Climate Change Canada (chair)
• Canadian fossil fuel association or industry:
  • Canadian Fuels Association
  • Canadian Gas Association
  • Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
• Canadian low carbon fuel association or industry:
  • Advanced Biofuels Canada
  • Renewable Industries Canada
  • Canadian Biogas Association
• Canadian electricity sector:
  • Electricity Canada
• Canadian agricultural sector:
  • Canada Grains Council
• Canadian forestry sector:
  • Forest Products Association of Canada
• Canadian hydrogen sector:
  • Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association
• Environmental non-governmental organization:
  • Pembina Institute
• Academics and life cycle independent experts:
  • University of Toronto
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Alberta
  • US Argonne National Laboratory
  • (S&T)2 Consultants Inc.

Terms of reference

1. Purpose

The purpose of the Stakeholder Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) is to provide technical advice to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on the ongoing development and maintenance of the government of Canada's Fuel Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Model (the Model).

As Government of Canada policies and regulations are anchored in the transition to a low carbon and net-zero emissions economy, the Model developed by ECCC has the potential to ensure consistency in how federal departments account for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, and removed or avoided emissions across the life cycle of products and resources. The Model includes GHG emissions along the fuel production chain, from upstream oil and gas production or crop growth, to end-use combustion of the fuel. The Model contains life cycle GHG emissions for both fossil and low carbon intensity fuel pathways.

The STAC is one of the main venues to ensure that the Model constantly evolves, is representative of current practices and technologies, and that various perspectives are considered through the ongoing development of the Model. The STAC contributes to ensure that openness and transparency remain key aspects of future iterations of Model.

2. Objective

The main objective of the STAC is to provide advice and support to ECCC via technical recommendations pertaining to the ongoing advancement and maintenance of the Model. The scope of the STAC's work is on the technical aspects of the Model, mindful that other program-related interests (e.g. Clean Fuel Regulations) can be raised through other channels.

Specific duties of the STAC include:

• advising ECCC on the ongoing development of the Model
• advising ECCC on the expansion of the Model's scope, including on the integration of new fuel pathways
• providing feedback on how the Model can be improved from a user-experience perspective
• supporting ECCC in keeping the Model up to date including through the identification of appropriate knowledge transfer and data sharing mechanisms, if available

Other duties may be identified over time.

3. Selection of members

The STAC is comprised of 17 members with equal voice, as follows:

• (1) chair from Environment and Climate Change Canada
• (3) three members from a Canadian fossil fuel association or industry
• (3) three members from a Canadian low carbon fuel association or industry
• (1) one member from the Canadian electricity sector
• (1) one member from a Canadian agricultural association or industry
• (1) one member from a Canadian forestry association or industry
• (1) one member from a Canadian hydrogen association or industry
• (1) one member from a Canadian environmental non-governmental organization (ENGO)
• (5) five members from academia or life cycle independent experts

Expert representatives from sector, industry, associations and organizations are invited to sit on the STAC for a period of between two and three years. After that period, ECCC may invite a member to extend their participation on the STAC, invite some of the same associations, industries and/or ENGOs to recommend a new technical expert to contribute to the work of the STAC for the next two to three years, and/or invite organizations with a different set of expertise to join the STAC.

• ECCC will not restrict renewal of nomination for experts whose organizations wish to recommend their expertise for subsequent 2-3-year mandate
• ECCC may, following each 2-3-year mandate, amend these Terms of Reference to adapt the STAC membership to reflect evolving technical expertise requirements

Academics and independent experts are asked to commit to the STAC for a period of between two and three years. Similarly, after that period, ECCC shall invite academics and independent experts whose expertise is most likely to fulfill the requirements of subsequent model updates.

Observers can be invited to attend STAC meeting, at the discretion of the Chair. Members can propose observers, but their invitation will remain at the discretion of the Chair.

4. Conditions of membership

The following conditions of membership must be met:

• members of the STAC committee must have expertise related to life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment and/or GHG quantification
• members are allowed to designate an alternate representative in their absence, with appropriate qualifications
• a member who is absent from three consecutive scheduled meetings without just cause may be asked to resign by the Chair
• members will adhere to the corresponding roles and responsibilities outlined in this document

5. Resignation or change in representative duties

In the case a Member ceases their duties as a representative of an association or organization, they shall notify ECCC within 14 calendar days of these changes being effective. The Member will be asked to resign from the STAC, and ECCC will invite the association or organization they represented to recommend a replacement. The same conditions of membership will be required.

In any case, ECCC will ensure that balanced stakeholder representation is respected.

6. Role of Chair

The STAC is chaired by an ECCC executive director or the Cross Sectoral Energy Division who is responsible for:

• ensuring the Terms of Reference are applied
• managing the meetings, including ensuring that all participants have an opportunity to speak;
• reviewing agendas
• reviewing meeting minutes
• ensuring all relevant material is shared to members prior to the meeting

7. Role of Secretary

An ECCC official provides secretary services. These include:

• drafting a work plan to guide the contribution of the STAC to ongoing updates of the Model
• conducting an analysis of the feedback shared by stakeholders and structuring that feedback to optimize efficiency
• working closely with the Fuel LCA Model team and the STAC to consider feedback from stakeholders and prioritize updates to the Model accordingly
• drafting meeting minutes and distributing them to STAC members
• preparing and distributing meeting agendas
• keeping track of STAC member information (contact, scheduling, etc.)

8. Meeting process

Meetings of the STAC are held 3 to 4 times per year. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair, provided that:

• an agenda stating the time, place, and discussion is distributed by the Secretary prior to each meeting;
• reasonable notice has been given by email to all committee members
  
  • reasonable notice is considered to mean a minimum of (14) fourteen calendar days before the meeting

Meetings can be held via teleconference, videoconferencing, or in person.

9. Meeting minutes

Minutes are recorded in writing by a Secretary appointed by ECCC. A draft copy of the minutes of each STAC meeting are circulated to the members prior to the next meeting for the purpose of verification and adoption.

10. Confidentiality

Any STAC records, material and information obtained by a member of the committee will only be considered confidential if it is clearly identified as such.

11. Amendments

Amendments to the Terms of Reference can be recommended by the STAC for ECCC's consideration. ECCC will solicit input from the STAC members on any proposed changes to the TOR prior to implementation.