2021 Greenhouse Gas Reporting Notice

Summary#

The Canada Gazette published a notice under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 on December 18, 2021 that updates reporting rules for the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP). Operators of certain facilities must report detailed greenhouse gas (GHG) information for the 2021 calendar year to Environment and Climate Change Canada by June 1, 2022.

What it does#

• Requires facilities to submit detailed 2021 GHG data through the ECCC Single Window system by June 1, 2022.
• Applies when a facility emitted 10,000 tonnes (or more) of CO2 equivalent in 2021, or when a facility is in specified industrial sectors, or if it was engaged in CO2 capture, transport, injection or storage during 2021.
• Asks for both general and industry‑specific information, for example:
  • emissions by gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6) and by emission source (fuel combustion, industrial processes, venting, flaring, leaks, waste, wastewater, on‑site transport);
  • fuel and production data (amounts, heating values, carbon content) and process details (e.g., clinker or lime production, anode use in aluminium, refinery vent sources);
  • CO2 capture/transport/storage quantities and any fugitive or surface leakage from storage sites.
• Requires operators to keep the submitted information and supporting calculations at the facility or at a Canadian parent company for three years.
• Lets firms ask for confidential treatment of data, but the government can still decide to publish the information.
• If a facility reported in 2020 but no longer meets the criteria, the operator must tell the Minister by June 1, 2022.

Who's affected#

• Environment and Climate Change Canada is the recipient and administrator of the reports.
• The notice mainly affects operators of facilities that:
  • emitted 10,000 tonnes CO2‑equivalent or more in 2021; or
  • work in key sectors such as cement, lime, aluminium, iron and steel, electricity and heat generation, ammonia, nitric acid, hydrogen, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, base metals, mining, ethanol and similar heavy industries; or
  • are involved in CO2 capture, transport, injection or long‑term storage (including related pipeline systems and offshore installations).
• Facilities that already report similar data to provincial programs (BC, AB, QC, NS, NL, etc.) can upload provincial reports into the same system, but must confirm any missing data for ECCC.

Why it matters#

• The reports give the government detailed, facility‑level data to build national GHG inventories, guide policy, and create guidelines or codes of practice.
• Published facility totals increase transparency. That can affect public scrutiny, investor questions, and local community awareness.
• For companies, the notice means time and cost to collect, check and submit detailed data. Records must be kept for three years.
• There are enforcement rules and penalties for failing to comply. Fines range up to $25,000 for an individual (summary conviction) and up to $500,000 for a corporation (on indictment).