Protecting the environment

The Government of Canada is committed to:

meeting our emissions reduction targets
advancing Canada’s energy and economic security while growing the economy
building resilience to a changing climate

This is why every dollar the Government of Canada earns from the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) will be invested in Canada’s clean energy transition.

TMX is clear evidence that Canada can grow its economy and deliver its natural resources to international markets while safeguarding the environment and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The project is complemented by generational investments in Canada’s oceans and clean technology.

What we’ve done

Reducing emissions

How the Government of Canada is taking action to reduce carbon pollution from TMX.

Taking action on pipeline and marine safety

How we make sure pipelines are assessed, regulated, operated and maintained in the right way and how we make our marine safety system stronger.

Canada Energy Regulator’s recommendations

16 recommendations that will mitigate, avoid or lessen potential effects associated with TMX and related marine shipping.

Canada’s approach on climate change

In 2021, the Government of Canada adopted legislation that committed to achieving an enhanced 2030 emissions reduction target of 40-45% below 2005 levels under the Paris Agreement. Additionally, it committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act provides a durable framework of accountability and transparency for Canada’s climate action. In 2024, an updated emissions reduction target of reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2035 was established.

Emissions Reduction Plan

Under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, Canada published the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (2030 ERP), which improves transparency and accountability on the way to net-zero.

The 2030 ERP builds on the foundation set by Canada’s existing climate actions, with new mitigation measures and strategies and $9.1 billion in additional investments. These new investments build on past actions the Government of Canada has taken.

Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed over $120 billion to:

reduce emissions
protect the environment
spur clean technologies and innovation
help Canadians and communities adapt to the impacts of climate change

Achieving Canada’s climate objectives demands that all sectors of the economy continue to decarbonize. They must do so in a manner that makes cleaner alternatives more affordable and creates new sustainable job opportunities.

Learn more about Canada’s 2023 Progress Report on the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan

Road map to 2030

The 2030 ERP provides a road map that identifies climate action and strategies for each sector. Some of these actions, outlined in the 2030 ERP and other recent fiscal announcements, include:

positioning the oil and gas sector to cut pollution by working with stakeholders to implement the cap on oil and gas emissions
creating a federal Carbon Management Strategy to help industries adopt clean technology to achieve net-zero emissions
establishing investment tax credits to de-risk investments in clean hydrogen, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, and zero-emission technologies
releasing an Assessment Framework and Guidelines to deliver on the Government of Canada’s commitments to phase out, or rationalize, fossil fuel subsidies
committing to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector includes many low-cost solutions and is one of most effective ways to slow the pace of climate warming

As a major economic contributor to the country and Canada's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the oil and gas sector plays a critical role in meeting Canada's climate objectives. Modelling of the most economically efficient pathway to meeting Canada's 2030 target projects that the oil and gas sector would make a significant contribution.

Learn more about Canada’s Greenhouse gas Emissions Projections.

Canada’s 2035 emissions reduction target

Under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, the Government of Canada must establish five-year national emissions reduction targets 10 years in advance, as it moves towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

In 2024, the Government of Canada set a target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2035. This builds on Canada’s existing 2030 target and will guide the next decade of action to address emissions reductions, competitiveness, affordability, and economic stability.

Learn more about Canada’s 2035 emissions reduction target.

Collaboration

Close partnership among all levels of government and industry will be needed. With a clear and collaborative plan, the sector can transform itself into the cleanest global oil and gas producers. It will also enable the move to provide low-carbon and non-emitting energy products and services. These include:

low-carbon hydrogen
geothermal heat and power
carbon fiber
asphaltenes

Investments today in decarbonization and diversification, during a period of record profitability, will better position the sector over the medium-term. They will minimize future climate-related financial risks for companies, workers and Canadians. These investments can also create new jobs and support local and regional economies.

Read about Canada’s climate plan

Taking action on sustainable jobs

A net-zero emissions economy represents significant opportunities for Canadians to:

secure and create jobs
grow our industries
lead with resources and technologies needed for generations to come

Canada is uniquely positioned to achieve a net-zero future. It has highly skilled and dedicated workers, abundant access to critical natural resources and energy sources, and a thriving clean technology industry. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring workers across the country have what they need to keep leading the way forward.

In 2021, the Government of Canada committed to comprehensive action, including legislation, to support sustainable jobs in Canada. Work on these actions was informed by over 2 years of consultations and conversations with various groups, including:

provinces and territories
Indigenous Peoples
workers and unions
industry
environmental and civil society organizations
the general public

On February 17, 2023, the Government released its Interim Sustainable Jobs Plan. This plan provided further details regarding the next steps to promote sustainable jobs. In June 2024, the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act became law and put in place the framework that allows the Government of Canada to take more effective actions to deliver on its objectives.

Key areas of action

Bolstering Marine Safety

To ensure the best protections for our coastal communities and marine environment, the Government of Canada has invested in new and stronger safety measures along the west coast.

The following TMX accommodation measures support marine safety and collaborative planning, analysis and decision making around the marine space

Since the launch of the historic Oceans Protection Plan, over 50 programs have been rolled out to strengthen Canada’s marine safety, expand scientific research and better protect our ecosystems. These include:

strengthening the Canadian Coast Guard and its operational capacity by reopening and building stations on the West Coast while investing in additional vessels
installing six new Canadian Coast Guard radar stations on the southern coast of British Columbia (B.C.) to better monitor ship traffic and prevent potential collisions in this area
ensuring safer navigation by better mapping the high-traffic commercial ports and waterways
investing in science to ensure ocean policy is based on sound scientific evidence
establishing a voluntary interim protocol to more evenly distribute vessels at anchor and reduce noise and light pollution on the south coast of B.C.
removing abandoned or wrecked vessels from coastal waters

Learn more about the Oceans Protection Plan.

Protecting Oceans and the Southern Resident Killer Whale

Canadians expect the environment and the economy to go hand in hand. An important part of this involves putting in place comprehensive measures to help protect our coasts and preserve at-risk species, such as the iconic Southern Resident killer whale. Ensuring the protection and recovery of Southern Resident killer whales requires a long-term, collective effort.

Learn more about Protecting the Southern Resident killer whale:

Strengthening Emergency Response

The Government of Canada understands that for many coastal Indigenous communities, the risk of an oil spill and its possible impacts on the culturally significant Southern Resident killer whale, as well as fishing activities, remain a serious concern. Accordingly, Canada’s emergency response system ensures the Government of Canada is ready and able to respond quickly to spills in Canadian waters.

Through the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), the government is:

establishing 24/7 emergency response and incident management
increasing on-scene environmental response capacity
improving oil-spill response plans
acquiring new environmental response equipment for the Canadian Coast Guard
improving information-sharing with Indigenous and coastal communities to support situational awareness and emergency response
modernizing Canada’s marine safety regulation and enforcement regime

Learn more about Canada’s marine safety regime:

Advancing Cumulative Effects Management

Marine ecosystems provide important habitat for species and essential ecosystem services both to local communities and the rest of Canada. These ecosystems are facing strong pressures, such as climate change and impacts of development, including increased marine traffic. The more we know about these ecosystems, the better we can plan for and support cumulative effects management.

Learn more about how the Government of Canada is advancing knowledge to help assess and manage cumulative effects:

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2025-03-22

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