Greenhouse Gas Information

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

The earth is surrounded by a layer of naturally occurring gases known as its atmosphere, which includes water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These are commonly referred to as “greenhouse” gases because, like the walls of a greenhouse, they trap some of the heat from the sun and this warms the planet and makes it livable. Over the past 150 years, humans have been releasing more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, preventing heat escaping into space and causing global temperatures to rise and climates around the world to change.

Historical GHG Emissions Summary

Every year, Canada prepares and submits a national greenhouse gas inventory (NIR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report covers anthropogenic (human-caused) emissions by sources, removals by sinks, and annual emissions estimates dating back to 1990.

Provincial data is available through this inventory with a two year delay. Data for recent years is available from the links below.

 

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Carbon Pricing System for Large Industry

The Provincial Government implemented a carbon pricing system in 2019 to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The system includes performance standards for large industrial facilities through the Management of Greenhouse Gas Act and its Regulations. 

Under this legislation, industrial facilities that emit 15,000 tonnes or more of GHG emissions per year are required to report their emissions on an annual basis.  The Act also provides for the establishment of a GHG reduction target for industrial facilities that have either emitted 25,000 tonnes or more of GHG emissions per year in any year since Section 4 of the Act came into force, or emitted 15,000 tonnes or more since Section 4 of the Act came into force and opt to be regulated by the Act.

A report of outcomes is published annually: GHG Annual Outcomes Report (2019-2022).

Industrial facilities not regulated under the Management of Greenhouse Gas Regulations are subject to the Federal Fuel Charge under Part 1 of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting

Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) are a metric used to convert tonnes of different greenhouse gases (such as CH4, N2O, etc.) into tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).  GWPs are periodically updated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) based on the latest scientific research.  The IPCC provided updated GWP values in its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in December 2022.

Industrial facilities reporting under the Management of Greenhouse Gas Act (MGGA) must utilize AR5 GWP values to calculate tCO2e for the 2023 reporting year.

Provincial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data for industrial facilities for reporting years 2016 to 2022 have been revised to reflect new GWP values:

Provincial GHG Data for 2016-2022 – Newfoundland and Labrador Industrial Facilities (AR5 GWP)

Provincial GHG emissions data with previous GWP values (i.e. AR4 values), will remain available:

Provincial GHG Data for 2016-2022 – Newfoundland and Labrador Industrial Facilities (AR4 GWP)

Resources for Large Industry covered by MGGA

Newfoundland and Labrador Greenhouse Gas Credit Registry

The Management of Greenhouse Gas Regulations make provisions for the Minister to establish and maintain a registry for industrial facilities and opted-in facilities covered by the Management of Greenhouse Gas Act. This is known as the Newfoundland and Labrador Greenhouse Gas Credit Registry. The information in an industrial facility’s account is confidential and accessible to the operator and identified contacts.  A public portal of the Registry provides information about overall GHG reduction credit holdings via reports that can be accessed publicly at link below.

Newfoundland and Labrador Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

 The Management of Greenhouse Gas Act provides for the establishment of a fund called the Newfoundland and Labrador Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Deposits into the Fund will come from the purchase of Fund credits by operators of industrial facilities, used to meet GHG emission reduction obligations and from enforcement activities under the Act and its regulations.

 

Federal Government’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for Industrial Facilities

The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) of Environment and Climate Change Canada collects information on GHG emissions annually from facilities across Canada. It is a mandatory program for facilities that emit 10 kilotonnes or more of GHG emissions per year. Data is published annually with a two year delay.

Federal Correspondence – Carbon Pricing – 2022

April 8, 2022 Deputy Minister Snow to Federal Deputy Minister Hogan

September 2, 2022 Premier Furey to Federal Minister Guilbeault

September 2, 2022 Deputy Minister Snow to Federal Deputy Minister Hogan

September 16, 2022 Minister Davis to Federal Minister Guilbeault