Today Environment Minister Mary Polak introduced amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act, giving new regulated operations flexible options for start-up, ensuring B.C.’s LNG is the cleanest in the world.

Under these proposed amendments, new LNG facilities can apply for a longer initial compliance period, up to 18 months, to allow time for testing and other initial activities that may affect emissions and production levels.

After the first period, all facilities would be required to meet the GHG emission intensity benchmark. This benchmark ensures B.C. LNG will be the cleanest in the world.

Facilities can directly achieve benchmark compliance by incorporating lower emission technologies or using electricity. The benchmark can also be met through flexible options – including purchasing offsets or paying a set price per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions that would be dedicated to a technology fund.

Another amendment, if passed, opens the BC Carbon Registry to non-regulated operations including companies and municipalities. This will allow them to participate in the carbon market to buy, transfer and retire offsets, and help fulfil partner or voluntary commitments.

If passed, the final amendment also corrects a transitional piece of the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act, ensuring government’s carbon neutral requirements are met.

Quote:

Mary Polak, Minister of Environment –

“We are proposing these changes to give regulated and non-regulated operations more choices and flexibility for a cleaner tomorrow. We are encouraging new, innovative approaches to managing emissions, while our GHG emission benchmark makes B.C.’s LNG the cleanest in the world. These proposed amendments stem from on-going negotiations with the LNG sector, and support the commitments we have made to industry, First Nations and the public.”

Learn More:

For more information about Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act, and other pieces of climate legislation, visit: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/policy-legislation-programs/legislation-regulations

Learn more about B.C.’s climate actions at: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change

The second round of public consultation in the development of B.C.’s Climate Leadership Plan is now open until March 25, 2016. Participate in the conversation at: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/climateleadership