Canada far off track for methane cuts

Environmental advocates say Canada's new methane regulations are going to leave the country well shy of its stated goal to cut emissions of the gas nearly in half in the next five years.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised four years ago that Canada would cut the methane emissions from fossil-fuel production by 40 to 45 per cent by 2025 and introduced regulations to do so in 2018.

However an analysis by the Pembina Institute and Environmental Defence says those measures will curb methane emissions just 29 per cent by 2025.

Jan Gorski, a senior analyst at the Pembina Institute, says the data shows they won't even get to 40 per cent by 2029.

Methane accounts for more than one-sixth of Canada's total greenhouse-gas emissions and 90 per cent of it comes oil and gas exploration, drilling, production and processing.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the government remains committed to the target of 40 to 45 per cent in five years and will strengthen the regulations if that is required.