Canada’s Third Biennial Report on Black Carbon and Methane to the Arctic Council

Introduction

Canada is pleased to provide its third biennial National Report on Black Carbon and Methane. This report summarizes emissions trends and projections for black carbon and methane, and outlines Canada’s current and planned actions to reduce emissions. Submission of this report to the Arctic Council satisfies a biennial commitment made under the Framework for Action on Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions Reductions (the Framework), agreed to by Arctic states in 2015 during the Canadian chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

The Framework provides guidance on the content of the national report that each Arctic State, and participating Arctic Council Observers, are required to submit to the Arctic Council Secretariat every two years. This includes:

1. A summary of the 2017 emissions data on black carbon submitted under the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), and, if available, future projections
2. Summary of the most recent methane emissions submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and, if available, future projections
3. Summary of national actions, national action plans, or mitigation strategies by sector
4. Highlights of best practices or lessons learned for key sectors
5. Information on projects relevant for the Arctic
6. Other information if available (e.g., climate, health, environmental, and economic effects of black carbon and methane emissions and mitigation efforts)

Canada submitted biennial reports to the Arctic Council in 2015 and 2017. In this report, emission estimates and projections of black carbon are outlined in Chapter 2, followed by methane emissions and projections in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 provides a summary of current Canadian actions to address black carbon and methane. Sector-specific initiatives are highlighted in Chapter 5, followed by a summary of international engagement efforts in Chapter 6. Annex 1 links more detailed Canadian actions to specific recommendations made by the Arctic Council Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane (EGBCM) in its 2019 Summary of Progress and Recommendations report.

Addressing emissions of black carbon and methane is a priority for Canada. Taking action to reduce these and other short-lived climate pollutants is an important component of Canada’s plan to mitigate climate change, in support of the Paris Agreement goal to limit global average temperature rise to below 2°C, and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Reducing emissions will also allow Canada to achieve human health and economic benefits. Domestic and international actions, as outlined in this report, will help deliver on the Government of Canada’s commitment to fight climate change, ensure clean air for all Canadians, and grow the economy.