The Regulatory Landscape of Canada
The Greenhouse Gas Monitoring, Accounting and Reporting (GHG) "encompasses the institutional, legal and procedural arrangements necessary to ensure that Canada meets its United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol" obligations.
The National Inventory Report (NIR) contains GHG emissions data at the national, provincial and sectorial levels, and is submitted annually to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The GHG Emissions Reporting program specifically targets facilities in Canada that emit the equivalent of 100,000 tonnes or more of Greenhouse Gases (in CO2 equivalent units) per annum.
Canada's Clean Air Act represents a significant shift from a voluntary to a regulatory approach. Over the next three years, new regulations will be implemented in all major sectors of business, leading to significant and long-term reductions in air pollution and GHG emissions from industry, transportation and consumer products, as well as setting new standards for energy efficiency across a spectrum of everyday products and appliances.
The Government will establish a long-term target to reduce GHG emissions by between 45% and 65% from 2003 levels by 2050.