Today, the Government of British Columbia introduced legislation intended to limit the amount of carbon pollution that the gas industry’s proposed LNG terminals may release. The following remarks may be attributed to Merran Smith, Director of Clean Energy Canada.
“Today, the government moved closer to its goal of a world-leading liquefied natural gas industry by requiring LNG plants to either meet a stringent standard for carbon pollution or pay for credits to make up the difference. It’s a good start—but on its own it won’t result in the cleanest LNG in the world.”
“LNG production releases carbon pollution all the way down the chain of production, from wellhead to waterline. Today’s legislation only addresses the last link in that chain—the port facilities where companies would chill the gas to load it aboard ships. It also allows companies to buy credits rather than actually build cleaner terminals.”
“It will take continued and strengthened leadership from both government and the industry before government can credibly tout the cleanest LNG in the world—and even if B.C. does ensure that this industry is built to world-leading standards, it would still sharply increase the province’s greenhouse-gas emissions.”
“Significantly, in the coming months the government has committed to find the carbon pollution cuts in other sectors—such as vehicles and buildings—that it will need to hit its legislated climate targets. We applaud this commitment, which helps return climate leadership to the front burner.”
Background: Lock in Jobs, Not Pollution, Clean Energy Canada report, January 2014
Background: The Cleanest LNG in the World?, Clean Energy Canada report, September 2013
