Canadian Environmental Protection Act

The Canadian Environmental Protection (CEPA) is Canada’s chief framework legislation for protecting environmental and human health protection and enhancing pollution prevention. Methane and other greenhouse gases are regulated as “Toxic Substances” under the Act, and the government is authorised to issue regulations respecting preventive or control actions in relation to these substances. 

 

Pursuant to this authority, in 2018, the Canadian government published the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector).

Section 10 of CEPA also authorises the Minister of the Environment to enter into an equivalency agreement with a province if mutually agreed, allowing provinces to replace federal rules with their own regulations.

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