Oilpatch wants ‘flexibility’ on coming methane cuts; says jobs at risk otherwise
EDMONTON — Thousands of jobs in the oil patch are at risk if governments try to impose the wrong approach to cutting back a highly potent greenhouse gas, says an industry lobby group.
“Let’s take the best opportunities as opposed to being very prescriptive,” Tim McMillan, head of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said Monday.
The federal and Alberta governments, with industry support, have announced plans to reduce emissions of methane by up to 45 per cent by 2025.
Methane is a greenhouse gas considered about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing emissions by sealing off leaks and other releases during energy extraction is considered to be one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.