VICTORIA – A new provincial government act came into effect January 1 that sets controls in place regarding greenhouse gas emissions. The new Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act (GGIRCA) has been developed to ensure LNG facilities in the province will have an emissions cap making them the cleanest in the world.
“Enacting the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act brings about clarity and consolidates many important pieces of our GHG legislation. The act upholds commitments we made to industry and enables First Nations and others to develop offsets under the new system, while supporting our new #BCTECH Strategy,” explained Provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak.
The new act combines several pieces of existing greenhouse gas legislation into a single legislative framework. The act includes the ability to set a greenhouse gas emissions intensity benchmark for regulated industries, including LNG facilities.
This benchmark can be met using flexible options that act as incentives to invest in emission reduction projects for natural gas and other sectors around the province. Options can include purchasing offsets or paying a set price per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions that would be dedicated to a technology fund.
Three regulations necessary to implement the act also are now in effect:
- greenhouse gas emission reporting regulation;
- greenhouse gas emission administrative penalties and appeals regulation; and
- greenhouse gas emission control regulation.
“The greenhouse gas emissions cap we have placed on our LNG facilities will make B.C.’s LNG the cleanest in the world. This is yet another example of our international leadership on climate action,” Polak said.
These three regulations were developed with the inclusion of input from industry stakeholders and the general public.
Quick Facts:
- The greenhouse gas emission reporting regulation replaces the existing industrial reporting regulation, and adds compliance reporting requirements, including specific requirements for LNG operations. Industrial operations will continue to report GHG emissions as they have since 2010.
- The greenhouse gas emission administrative penalties and appeals regulation establishes the process for when, how much, and under what conditions administrative penalties may be levied for non-compliance with the act or regulations.
- The greenhouse gas emission control regulation establishes the BC Carbon Registry, and sets criteria for developing emission offsets issued by the Province. The regulation also establishes the price of $25 for funded units issued under the act that would go toward a technology fund. Regulated operations, such as LNG operations, will purchase offsets from the market or funded units from government to meet emission limits.