New poll shows clear public support for tackling methane emissions

CALGARY, AB — A new international poll commissioned by Pembina Institute partner the Global Methane Hub shows 86 per cent of Canadian respondents support action to mitigate methane emissions.

Methane is a major contributor to Canada’s overall emissions and accounts for about 20 per cent of all oil and gas sector emissions annually. The Global Methane Hub polling data underscores the need for strong regulations that will ensure the industry meets public expectations on reducing methane, and achieves the Government of Canada’s target of a 75 per cent reduction of oil and gas sector methane emissions from 2012 levels by 2030.

The online poll reached 12,976 people in 17 countries. In Canada, 89 per cent of the 754 respondents supported implementing standards that require the oil and gas industry to find and fix methane leaks, and 86 per cent support improving methane emissions measurement data to ensure accountability. While proposed federal regulations strengthen leak detection and repair requirements, they do little to move Canada beyond estimation-based reporting to a measurement-based methane inventory. As the federal government continues to update methane regulations, it should seize this opportunity to align with other global leaders and, given the survey results, with public sentiment.

Quotes

“Reducing methane emissions from Canada's oil and gas production has been shown to be both achievable and cost-effective using existing technologies. The Global Methane Hub's poll is a reminder that there is public appetite across the world for strong methane policy. To remain in step with international policy, Canada’s federal and provincial governments must rapidly implement proposed federal methane regulations and equivalent provincial regulations, and make measurement-based reporting a regulatory requirement.”

— Amanda Bryant, Senior Analyst, Pembina Institute

“Methane is increasingly recognized as a driver of climate change. Given its potency and lifetime in the atmosphere, addressing methane is the fastest way to drive down global temperatures, which can buy time to address other greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide. As governments and companies worldwide make commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions following COP28, this international poll shows that there is great opportunity for progress and a strong appetite for action to catalyze rapid reductions in methane emissions to save our planet.”

— Marcelo Mena, CEO of Global Methane Hub

[30]