1. Global, National and Provincial Climate Change Commitments
Air & Waste Management Association, Canadian Prairie & Northern Section
May 3, 2016
Shan Pletcher, P.Eng, MBA
Alberta Climate Change Office

2. OVERVIEW – Climate Commitments
Global
COP21 and the Paris Agreement
National
Canada’s COP 21 Commitment
The US / Canada Agreement
Provincial
Alberta’s GHG Actions to Date
Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan
Opportunities for Great Innovation

3. Global – Universal Climate Agreement
COP21 Event and the Paris Agreement
The 194 Country Commitment “legally binding”
Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions (INDCs)
Side Event’s
Technology Solutions

4. 21st meeting of Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (Nov 30 – Dec12, 2015)

5. COP 21 Agreement by Canada Adopted December 12, 2015
Limit temperature rise 'well below' 20C (with ambitions for a limit of 1.50C)
2. Helping poorer nations
3. Publishing greenhouse gas reduction targets (ie., INDC)
4. Carbon neutral by 2050?

6. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution
INDCs - voluntary public pledges by countries to cut carbon pollution to avoid 2.70C warming
Canada published INDC May 15, 2015
committed to reducing emissions 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030
Canada’s emissions in 2006 – 2014
decreased by 0.6 per cent annually (CBC News Dec. 16, 2015)

7. Side Events and Pavilions Nov 30 – Dec12, 2015 in PARIS

8. Side Events and Pavilions Technologies on Vehicle Emissions

9. OVERVIEW - Nationally Canada’s COP 21 Commitment
The US / Canada Agreement – March 10, 2016
Significant reductions
in Methane emissions
Collaborate on emission standards for vehicles

10. Alberta GHG Emissions in Context of Canada units million tonnes CO2e

11. Alberta’s GHG Regulation since 2007
Specified Gas Emitter’s Regulation
Large Facilities more than 100,000 t CO2 e/year
Emission Intensity Reduction of 12% from 3 year historic baseline
Compliance options
Physically reduce intensity of facility
Purchase ‘Tech Fund” Credits at $15/tonne
Purchase Offset Credits
Purchase Emission Performance Credits

12. Provincial – Present and The Future
Alberta’s GHG Actions to Date
Specified Gas Emissions Regulation (SGER)
Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan
4 Key Elements

13. Climate Review - Advisory Panel
Chair: Dr. Andrew Leach Panel members: Angela Adams, Stephanie Cairns, Linda Coady, Gordon Lambert Mandate: Lead engagement with Albertans, stakeholders and Indigenous communities to inform recommendations to government on a new climate policy approach. The Panel submitted their report to the government in November.

14. Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan
Key Elements and Commitments:
Carbon Pricing
combustion fuel pricing
product / sector-based performance standards
Revenue recycling
Electricity
coal emissions phase out
renewable generation
Oil Sands
annual emissions limit from sector
Methane
reduction from oil and gas sector

15. Carbon Pricing - Combustion Fuel
Application:
Transportation and heating fuels
Fuels produced and used on site at small oil and gas facilities (not captured by performance standards) will be exempt until January 1, 2023
Price:
January 1, 2017
January 1, 2018
$20/tonne
$30/tonne

16. Carbon Pricing - Performance Standards
Application:
All facilities emitting 100,000 tonnes CO2e or more annually
Performance standards by product / sector (shift from site-specific historic baselines reduction requirement)
Improves transparency and allows benchmarking of performance within and outside Alberta
Compliance flexibility remains
Price:
Currently
January 1, 2016
January 1, 2017
January 1, 2018
$20/tonne
$30/tonne
SGER –
15% Reduction
20% Reduction
Performance Standards

17. Electricity Climate Leadership Plan Commitments:
Phase Out of Emissions from Coal Generation
- zero emissions from coal-fired power by 2030
Renewable Generation
- 30 per cent of total generation by 2030

18. Alberta Emission Sources (Source: Environment Canada)
Oil Sands
Why focus on an oil sands emissions cap ?
Because the oil sands sector is under international scrutiny and are the industry expected to experience the greatest amount of emissions growth within Alberta and Canada.
267 Mt
(2013)
320 Mt
(2030)
Alberta Emission Sources (Source: Environment Canada)

19. Methane Management Climate Leadership Plan commitments:
Reduction of 45% of methane from oil and gas by 2025 (from 2014 levels)
Requirements at existing and new facilities

20. Methane Management Why focus on methane from oil and gas?
Oil and gas sector account for almost 70 percent of provincial methane emissions
Reducing venting and fugitives are some of the most cost effective means to reduce GHG emissions from oil and gas sector
What about methane reductions in other sectors?
Methane reductions from other sectors will be driven either through the performance standard approach at large facilities
Actions to reduce methane emissions will be incented in the agricultural and waste sectors through carbon offsets protocols

21. Opportunities for Great Innovation
Reduced transportation
emissions
Renewable energy generation
Better energy storage
Energy efficiency

22. Questions? Alberta Government email: shan.pletcher@gov.ab.ca
Shan Pletcher, P.Eng, MBA, EP(GHG) Alberta Climate Change Office
Alberta Government