Industry

Helping industry run cleaner and more efficiently

Taking action

The Government of Canada will work with the provinces and territories to:

  • Reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40-45% by 2025, including through equivalency agreements.
  • Implement regulations to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons.
  • Help industries improve their energy efficiency.
  • Invest in developing and deploying new clean industrial technologies in collaboration with provinces and territories.

Canada benefits from a strong and diverse industrial sector. It is the backbone of our economy, and it employs hundreds of thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. From oil and gas production to pulp mills to steel and aluminum manufacturing, our industrial sector produces quality products for use at home and abroad.

Yet 37 percent of Canada’s national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from industry, and there is a lot we can do to reduce these emissions.

Through changes to policy and targeted investment, Canada’s industries will run on cleaner fuels and electricity, improve their energy efficiency, and use cutting-edge technologies to reduce carbon pollution. These changes will help Canadian industry thrive during the clean growth century.

First, we must reduce emissions of methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations by 40-45% by 2025, including through equivalency agreements that would allow provinces to implement their own regulatory regimes. The federal government has also introduced regulations to phase down the use of HFCs, which are used in air conditioners and refrigerators, and are potent GHGs – some being thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Increasing energy efficiency is also a pillar of our clean growth strategy. Energy management systems help businesses track, analyze and improve their energy efficiency. Energy management systems, can be implemented quickly, produce results immediately, and will help save businesses money. The Government of Canada will take steps to increase the availability of these energy management tools and encourage their uptake with businesses.

In addition to increasing the amount of energy we save, there are also opportunities to change the type of energy we use. That is why Canada will make strategic investments in new clean technologies within industry. Some of today’s technologies can help industries cut emissions and switch to clean fuels and electricity. The Government will launch consultations early in the new year with stakeholders, provinces, territories and Indigenous Peoples to develop a clean fuel standard that will encourage the industrial sector to use lower carbon fuels.

Over the longer-term, new technology breakthroughs will make even greater strides in cutting emissions. The right investments today can make our industries cleaner tomorrow. And by making these investments we will also drive innovation, helping Canadian businesses access global markets and attract foreign investment.

Canada’s clean future includes internationally competitive businesses that lead the world in using new technologies to be efficient and productive and reduce emissions.

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