Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction performance

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction with economic growth

Overall emissions in the province are declining. As of 2022, Alberta’s total emissions have declined by 20.9 million tonnes – a 7.2% reduction since 2015.

• Electricity sector emissions decreased 22 Mt from 2015 to 2022 – a 53.2% decline (2005 to 2022 is a 59% decline).
• Natural gas production and processing emissions decreased 8.4 Mt from 2015 and 2022 – a 15.5% decline.
• Conventional oil emissions decreased 4.4 Mt from 2015 and 2022 – a 20.3% decline.
• Transportation emissions decreased 3.8 Mt from 2015 and 2022 – a 14% decline.
• Heavy industry emissions decreased 1.5 Mt from 2015 and 2022 – a 7.5% decline.

Alberta had the greatest absolute reduction in emissions between 2021 to 2022 of any Canadian province or territory, reducing emissions by 1.2 million tonnes. According to Canada’s 2024 National Inventory Report, Alberta’s total emissions were 269.9 million tonnes in 2022, representing a 0.4% reduction from 2021.

Notably, emissions declined while the economy grew.

• Alberta has lowered emissions and reduced projected growth in emissions significantly, decoupling our emissions growth from economic growth.
• Alberta decreased its emissions intensity from 1.02 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per $1,000 of GDP in 2005 to 0.82 in 2022 – a 20% decline.
• Alberta’s GDP increased 34% between 2005 and 2022 while emission grew by just 7.4%.

Methane reductions from conventional oil and gas

In 2015, Alberta was the first regional government in North America to commit to reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. As of 2023 Alberta has reduced methane emissions from this sector by 52% from 2014 levels – reached 45% target 3 years ahead of schedule.

The chart below outlines the methane emissions (a combination of reported data and estimates) from 2014 to 2023 and forecasts to 2025. These reductions are the result of the requirements of Directive 060 and complementary programs. With a baseline methane emissions inventory in 2014 of 31.9 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalents, Alberta has reduced methane emissions by 52% to 15.3 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2023.

Electricity emission reductions

Electricity emissions have declined by 59% since 2005. Alberta will have avoided 188 Mt CO₂e between 2015 and 2030 by moving to a lower-emitting electricity mix, including getting off coal early.

In 2015, Alberta announced the province would eliminate emissions from coal power generation by 2030. Alberta achieved this target more than 6 years ahead of schedule, with the last coal‑fired power plant in Alberta transitioning to natural gas fuel in June 2024.

In 2016, Alberta set a target to generate 30% of its total electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and an interim target of 20% in 2025. Alberta’s renewable wind and solar energy growth has the province on track to meet or exceed this target.

• In 2022, 1.8 gigawatts of new wind and solar capacity installed in Canada. Nearly 1.4 gigawatts (or 80%) was in Alberta.
• In 2023, renewable generation provided approximately 18% of Alberta’s total electricity generation.
• In 2023, more than $1.6 billion worth of renewable energy projects were completed. Alberta’s renewable energy capacity increased to 6,614 megawatts, up from 3,028 megawatts in 2019. Renewable-energy capacity is expected to continue growing.

The emissions intensity of Alberta’s electricity grid has decreased from 910 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour of electricity generated in 2005 to 470 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour in 2022. This is equivalent to a 52% reduction in 2022 from 2005 levels.

Transportation emission reductions

Oil sands improvements

The emissions intensity of Alberta oil sands bitumen production has declined by 22% per barrel from 2012 to 2022. At the same time, production increased by 90%.

• In-situ emissions intensity declined by 15.5% (from 0.489 to 0.413 t CO₂e per cubic metre) and integrated mining emissions intensity declined by 15% (from 0.587 to 0.499 t CO₂e per cubic metre) from 2012 to 2022.
• Standalone mining operations, which were not present in 2012, are responsible for a significant portion of this decline in emissions intensity. Stand-alone mining had an emissions intensity of 0.244 t CO₂e per cubic metre in 2022, which is roughly 60% of the emissions intensity of in-situ mining and 50% of the emissions intensity of integrated mining operations.
• Forecasts expect that intensity will likely fall 20 to 28% in the oil and gas sector between 2020 and 2035 – IHS Markit/S&P Global Report on the trajectory of oil sands GHG emissions: 2009-35

Industrial carbon pricing – TIER impacts

In 2007, Alberta introduced the first industrial carbon pricing and emissions trading system in North America. Since then, this has reduced emissions, supported industry with a flexible approach and helped grow Alberta’s economy.

• As of November 7, 2024, the most active credits by protocol are:
  • Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions from Pneumatic Devices (methane reductions from oil and gas), with 6,541,972 credits.
  • Enhanced Oil Recovery (utilization and storage of captured CO₂ for oil recovery), with 4,619,288 credits.
  • Wind-powered Electricity Generation, with 4,592,144 credits.
  • CO₂ Capture and Permanent Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers, with 4,309,749 credits.
  • Solar Electricity Generation, with 1,114,356 credits.
  • Energy Generation from the Combustion of Biomass Waste, with 776,294 credits.
  • Conservation Cropping, with 519, 142 credits.
  • Landfill Gas Capture and Combustion, with 419,321 credits.

Investments in technology and energy efficiency measures to reduce emissions varies by site. However, as the carbon price has increased, Alberta has seen adoption of:

• co-generation of electricity and steam
• off coal and natural gas generation uptake
• renewable energy
• methane mitigation, all at current and emergent price points

The province anticipates continued growth of carbon capture, utilization and storage, solvents for extraction, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.

Additional resources

• Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction System
• Alberta Emission Offset System

Carbon capture, utilization and storage

Alberta has a proven track record of supporting carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), with approximately 14 million tonnes of CO₂ safely sequestered since 2015.

As of April 2024, Alberta projects have sequestered and permanently stored more than 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions through carbon capture and storage and enhanced oil recovery projects.

Alberta has invested more than $1.2 billion in the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL) and Quest projects. Together, these projects have captured and stored more than 11.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide as of April 2024. This capture estimate is calculated from the Alberta Emission Offset Registry.

• In total, Alberta has approximately $1.9 billion invested or committed to CCUS projects and programs since 2009 and will continue this leadership.
• Alberta is home to the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre, a piloting test centre to de-risk CCUS technologies.
• In 2023, Alberta provided TIER funds to the International CCS Knowledge Centre to form a new knowledge exchange platform to provide timely and efficient open access curation of lessons learned on CCS projects, proactively share best practices from developers from project inception through operation, and support better understanding of CCS.
• In 2024, the province introduced the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program to provide an anticipated $3.2 and $5.3 billion in support over the next decade to help major industries incorporate CCUS into their operations by providing grant funding for new eligible capital project costs.

This total is updated after emission reductions are quantified, third party verified and added to the registry. Project proponents may report different numbers according to private calculations, but the province relies on totals that are accurate to the official registry.

Additional resources

• Alberta Emission Offset Registry
• Alberta Carbon Conversion Centre
• International CCS Knowledge Centre
• Emissions Reduction Alberta
• Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program

Additional resources

• Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan