As Canada transitions to a low-carbon future, investments in clean technology are building a stronger economy, creating new middle-class jobs and driving sustainable prosperity.

The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, announced on November 14th, 2017, an investment of $5.3 million for seven projects aimed at tackling methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that poses a real environmental challenge for the oil and gas sector. Canada’s oil and gas sector is the largest emitter of methane, which accounts for about 15 percent of Canada’s GHG emissions.

“Developing new technologies to help reduce methane emissions demonstrates the oil and gas sector’s commitment to innovation and to helping build a clean growth economy that will create good, middle-class jobs for Canadians in the clean technology sector and enable us to realize our climate change goals,” declares Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities.

The Canadian Government is collaborating with Clearstone Engineering, the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC), the University of British Columbia and the University of Calgary to support research aimed at improving our ability to detect methane leaks, improve emissions reporting and enhance efforts to reduce emissions in oil and gas production. These investments will help Canada meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and create well-paying jobs for middle-class Canadians.

The projects are being funded through Natural Resource Canada’s Clean Energy Innovation Program, which received $25 million over two years to accelerate clean technology development. Canada, through Mission Innovation, a global initiative, committed to double investments in clean energy innovation over five years. These investments will ensure clean energy technologies are widely affordable and help drive economic growth.