Pursuant to a Canada Gazette notice published on July 11, 2009, the federal government has lowered the reporting threshold from 100,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent (CO2e) to 50,000 tonnes CO2e. In addition, two separate reporting categories for (i) venting and flaring and (ii) waste and wastewater have now been established. These changes will allow Environment Canada to obtain a better understanding of GHG emissions across Canada.
The next reporting deadline for the 2009 GHG emissions data is June 1, 2010. At the national level, all facilities with annual GHG emissions of 50,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent (CO2e) or more must report their GHG emissions to Environment Canada in accordance with the requirements under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. This reporting is completed through the National Mandatory Reporting System for GHGs, operated by Statistics Canada on behalf of Environment Canada.
An important change in the reporting process is the transfer of the GHG data collection from Statistics Canada to Environment Canada, starting March 2010. This change will advance Environment Canada’s plan to harmonize reporting requirements into one system.