The Canadian government on Dec. 16 released final regulations to reduce methane emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector and landfills. The government is also investing $16 million in methane measurement, reporting and mitigation research. &nbsp;Landfills accounted for approximately 17% of Canada's methane emissions and 3% of its total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023. The new Landfill Methane Regulations aim to provide a consistent approach to reducing landfill methane emissions in publicly and privately owned municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills.&nbsp;Under the regulations, owners and operators of regulated landfills will be required to monitor the landfill surface, landfill gas recovery wells, and equipment used to control landfill methane emissions. This will allow for early detection of methane emissions and leaks that must be repaired within specified timelines.The regulations apply to landfills that disposed of any quantity of MSW after Jan. 1, 2010, and have more than 450,000 metric tons of MSW in place, or that have disposed of more than 20,000 metric tons of MSW in 2025 or any subsequent calendar year and have more than 200,000 metric tons of MSW in place. The regulations do not apply to landfills or distinct portions of a landfill that are under final cover and ceased to accept waste before Jan. 1, 2010, or to landfills that receive only hazardous waste, non-biodegradable waste, waste produced from forest products operations, or construction and demolition waste.&nbsp;Landfills that are subject to the new regulations must calculate their annual methane generation using Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Landfill Modelling Tool and submit a Methane Generation Assessment Report. Open landfills that exceed 844 metric tons of methane generation and closed landfills that exceed 1,000 metric tons of methane generation have additional compliance obligations.Requirements to control methane will go into effect in 2028 for landfills that have 1,000 metric tons or more than methane generation and have existing landfill gas recovery systems, in 2029 for landfill that have 1,000 metric tons or more of methane generation and do not have existing systems, or in 2035 for landfill that have between 664 metric tons and 1,000 metric tons of methane generation. Requirements include a prohibition on venting landfill gas and a requirement that recovered methane must be destroyed or used, limits on methane concentration at the surface of the landfill and regulator monitoring to confirm these limits are met and conduct repairs where limits are exceeded, and monitoring of equipment and wellfields to identify and repair methane leaks.The new Landfill Methane Regulations are expected to reduce GHG emission by an estimated 100 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2026 and 2040, supporting Canada’s net-zero emissions goal.&nbsp;The $16 million investment in methane emissions reduction technologies aims to help advance innovative methane reduction solutions and contribute to Canada’s broader climate and competitiveness objectives. Eight projects will share in the investment, which being awarded through the Energy Innovation Program’s Methane Measurement and Mitigation call for proposals, launched in 2024 to support Canada’s Methane Centre of Excellence.&nbsp;Additional information is available on Environment and Climate Change Canada <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2025/12/government-of-canada-delivers-on-climate-competitiveness-strategy-commitment-to-lower-methane-emissions-from-major-sources.html">website</a>. &nbsp;

2025-12-18 - Canada issues new regulations to reduce methane emissions (Biomass Magazine)

The Canadian government on Dec. 16 released final regulations to reduce methane emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector and landfills. The government is also investing $16 million in methane measurement, reporting and mitigation research.  

Canada issues new regulations to reduce methane emissions

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