Letter sent to the Government of Alberta and Federal Ministers in charge of health and the environment in support of the initiative of For Our Kids

Methane is an exceptionally potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential more than 80 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timescale. This makes methane emissions a critical factor in the accelerating climate crisis, which directly threatens the health and safety of our communities. It is in our collective interest to prevent methane venting and fugitive emissions.

Independent research on methane emissions from oil and gas operations indicate significant and continuous releases to the atmosphere. These greenhouse gas emissions contribute to greater weather variability and extreme events, including the intensification of wildfires in Jasper, Fox Lake/Little Red River Cree Nation, Waterton National Park, Fort McMurray, and Slave Lake. The social and environmental impacts of these disasters are obvious, and it is equally obvious that decision-makers must account for these significant liabilities (both to individuals and to governments) as part of their fiduciary responsibilities. These costs must be ‘internalized’ in economic analyses in the effort to regulate the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, like methane.

In addition to its climate impact, fugitive emissions and venting from the oil and gas sector often include toxic chemicals associated with severe health issues. The Environmental Defense Fund highlights that methane contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate pollution, leading to poor air quality with dire consequences for public health, including aggravated lung diseases, asthma attacks, and increased risks of cardiovascular issues and stroke. The attached link provides further information: https://globalcleanair.org/methane-and-health/.

To address methane effectively, the Government of Alberta must set ambitious targets and commit to initiatives for monitoring and evaluating methane emission data, as per Pembina Institute’s recent report Raising the Bar. Oil and gas operators must be directed (with effective enforcement) to control fugitive emissions from oil and gas operations (oil processing and storage, pipelines, operating wells, and the 300,000+ unreclaimed wells in the province) as well as direct venting and inadequate combustion while flaring. Industrial activity that results in emissions (as well as land disturbance, water contamination, and biodiversity and critical habitat loss) must be regulated to ensure polluter-pays principles, robust environmental protection, and health safety.

The federal government has drafted a regulation that aims for a 75 percent reduction in oil and gas methane emissions. This is an important target for Canada to meet its greenhouse gas commitments made through many intergovernmental Conference of Parties (COP) processes. SAGE encourage the Government of Alberta to support this federal regulation and work to ensure clear, actionable steps aligned with federal goals of near-zero emissions by 2035.

SAGE looks forward to your response on how the Government of Alberta plans to reduce methane emissions and meet greenhouse gas emission targets.