Mandatory GHG Reporting for 2024–2025

Summary#

This is a federal notice telling certain large industrial facilities to report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the calendar years 2024 and 2025. Operators that meet the reporting rules must send detailed emissions data to Environment and Climate Change Canada using the ECCC Single Window by set deadlines (June 2, 2025 for 2024 data; June 1, 2026 for 2025 data).

What it does#

• Requires operators of facilities that meet the reporting criteria to provide detailed GHG data for 2024 and 2025 to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
• Applies when a facility’s total emissions meet or exceed 10 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq.) in either year, or when the facility is in certain listed industry sectors or is involved in CO2 capture/transport/storage/use.
• Asks for quantities of key gases and totals by source category (for example: fuel combustion, industrial processes, venting, flaring, leaks, waste and wastewater). The notice lists the specific gases covered (including CO2, methane and nitrous oxide) and many industry-specific data items (e.g., clinker and lime production, anode use at aluminium plants, nitric acid N2O testing).
• Lets some facilities use methods from other programs where allowed (for example the Output-Based Pricing System Regulations or an Alberta reporting rule) when those methods are specifically accepted.
• Requires submission through the ECCC Single Window. The government says it intends to publish facility-level emission totals by gas and source category.
• Gives operators the option to request confidential treatment of submitted information under the Act, but the Minister may still disclose information in certain circumstances.
• Requires retained records, calculations and supporting data to be kept at the facility or at a Canadian parent company for three years and for the operator to provide the location if stored at a parent company.
• Explains that failing to comply can lead to criminal or administrative penalties (see “Who’s affected” for the fines mentioned in the notice).

Who's affected#

• Operators of industrial facilities (including integrated sites, pipeline systems and offshore installations) that:
  • emit at least 10 000 tonnes CO2 eq. in 2024 or 2025, or
  • are in specific sectors named in the notice (examples include mining, cement, lime, aluminium, iron and steel, electricity and heat generation, ammonia, nitric acid, hydrogen, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, base metals), or
  • operate CO2 capture, transport, injection, utilization or storage systems.
• Facilities already reporting to provincial systems or other federal programs should check whether they can use alternate methods allowed by the notice (for example under the Output-Based Pricing System Regulations or Alberta’s Specified Gas Reporting Regulation).
• Smaller facilities below the 10 000 tonnes threshold are not required by this notice. If it is unclear whether a particular site meets the threshold or sector rules, the notice requires the operator to determine that and to notify the Minister if a previously reported facility no longer meets the criteria.
• Anyone submitting data should note that the government plans to publish facility-level totals and that confidentiality claims can be made but are not guaranteed.

Why it matters#

• The required data feed Canada’s national GHG inventory and support climate policy, regulation and public information. More detailed and standardized data helps officials track emissions trends and spot where reductions are possible.
• For affected companies this means more detailed measurement, record-keeping and reporting work. That can mean costs for monitoring and for preparing the reports.
• The government intends to publish facility-level totals, which can influence public transparency, investor and community scrutiny, and corporate reputations.
• Non-compliance can carry penalties. The notice cites fines in the Act that can be up to $1,000,000 for an individual and $6,000,000 for a corporation for a first offence.