Ontario Releases Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Regulation and Guideline for Public Review

Ontario’s Ministry of Environment has released draft guidelines for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the province to support the implementation of a cap and trade program. If adopted, this regulation would require certain Ontario facilities to begin data collection on January 1, 2010 and submit their first report on June 1, 2011.

The draft guidelines are similar to the mandatory GHG emissions reporting rule introduced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in September 2009 and propose the following requirements:

• Reporting for all regulated sources that are emitting 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) or more per year, including:
• Adipic acid manufacturing
• Primary manufacturing of aluminum
• Ammonia manufacturing
• Carbonate use
• Cement manufacturing
• Coal storage
• Copper production
• Electricity generation and cogeneration
• Ferroalloy production
• General stationary combustion
• Glass production
• HCFC-22 production
• Hydrogen production
• Iron manufacturing
• Steel manufacturing
• Lead production
• Lime manufacturing
• Nickel production
• Nitric acid manufacturing
• Petrochemical production
• Petroleum refining
• Phosphoric acid production
• Pulp and paper manufacturing
• Refinery fuel gas use within a petroleum refinery
• Soda ash manufacturing
• Zinc production
• Flexibility to use the best alternative quantification methods for 2010 emissions, to be reported in 2011
• Use of standardized methods to quantify emissions starting for the reporting of 2011 emissions in 2012
• Third party verification for 2011 emissions, to be verified in 2012 and every year thereafter using ISO 14064-3 Part 3 Specification with Guidance for the Validation and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Assertions
• Emission reports to be submitted on June 1 of each year starting in 2011
• Verification to be completed by September 1 of each year, starting in 2012
• starting in 2011 for 2010 data and annually thereafter

As part of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), Ontario has worked through the WCI to solicit input from Ontario and Canadian stakeholders and pursue the development of a cap and trade program that aligns with other programs developing in North America, including the WCI and U.S. cap and trade systems. The proposed reporting regulation is intended to provide the foundation for Ontario to implement a cap and trade program to help achieve its climate change goals.

CSA Standards played a lead role in the development of the ISO 14064 series of standards for carbon accounting and management, and has been working with several American organizations to prepare them for the EPA’s mandatory reporting rule.

Contact us to find out how we can help your organization prepare for Ontario’s pending regulations.

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