The Government of Saskatchewan announced August 29 that, as part of its Prairie Resilience strategy, it has developed new output-based performance standards that will apply to more than 40 Saskatchewan industrial facilities, which generate 11 per cent of total provincial emissions. The measures are in addition to previously announced reductions in electricity generation (40 per cent) and methane from upstream oil and gas (40 per cent).
“Reductions in these three key areas will reduce emissions by 12 megatonnes of greenhouse gases each year by 2030,” Environment Minister Dustin Duncan said. “Our bold and innovative system-wide strategy is designed to responsibly and tangibly reduce emissions without the imposition of an economy-wide carbon tax.”
Saskatchewan’s performance standards will increase over an established schedule from 2019 to 2030, cumulatively reducing GHG emissions by 5.3 million tonnes. The sector-specific performance standards apply to potash, coal and uranium mining; iron and steel mills; fertilizer manufacturing; pulp mills; ethanol production; refining and upgrading; upstream oil and gas – combustion only.
Saskatchewan facilities will be able to choose from a suite of flexible compliance options including offset credits, best performance credits and a technology fund.