Feds announce plan to reduce methane emissions from oil sector, landfills

By Canadian Press on December 16, 2025.

OTTAWA — The federal government is announcing new regulations to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and landfills.

A federal document says the new rules, which expand on regulations introduced in 2018, strengthen leak detection and repair requirements and set new standards on venting.

The new rules apply to upstream production, processing and transmission facilities in Canada’s onshore oil and gas sector, including gas plants and pipelines.

The document says the regulations will be phased in starting Jan. 1, 2028, and will help the Canadian oil and gas industry with producing “low-methane intensity products and supporting long-term success in a technologically advanced, decarbonizing industry.”

The government says that by 2040, the regulations are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

In addition to the new regulations, the government is also announcing nearly $16 million in funding for investment in methane emission reduction technologies across Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press