Successful models exist

Re: Climate fix to cost oilpatch $25B over decade, June 6

This report on the costs of climate policies for the Canadian oil and gas industry paints a dire picture about high costs for the industry, including costs of the federal government’s recent methane pollution standards. But it misses a key point about those standards: They are based on similar policies that have been in place — including for existing facilities — for some time in leading U.S. states. Most notably, in 2014, Colorado put a standard in place that requires operators of new and existing wells and other sites to inspect for methane pollution leaks and follow many steps in Canada’s recent regulations. With those standards in place, industry has remained active in Colorado, continuing to invest in the state. In fact, the industry supported further tightening of the Colorado rules this past fall. Canada’s methane pollution standards are a critical solution in Canada’s national climate plan. With these regulations, the oil and gas industry will have a clear responsibility to be a stronger partner, joining citizens and communities that are already working hard to reach our country’s climate targets. The technology exists to cut methane pollution from the oil and gas sector, and peerreviewed research shows that it’s one of the cheapest, easiest and most effective ways to address climate change. These have been required for years, at tens of thousands of sites in Colorado and elsewhere, and the industry is fine. We should keep this in mind when the industry predicts an exodus will result from applying these sensible standards in Canada

Ian Bruce, Director, Science & Policy, The David Suzuki Foundation, Vancouver