Alberta says it is making progress toward its goal of reducing methane emissions by 75 per cent by 2035, with updated provincial estimates indicating emissions have fallen 62 per cent.
The figure is higher than the reduction recorded in the province’s previously published emissions data and reflects changes to its measurement methodology. Alberta’s published 2024 data reported a 51 per cent reduction from 2014 levels. The province has not yet provided enough publicly available information to independently verify the updated 62 per cent figure.
Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter is scheduled to discuss Alberta’s methane reduction efforts on Nov. 12 at the Canadian Pavilion during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, as part of Methane Day. The provincial government says the updated figures reflect improvements in emissions measurement and monitoring technology.
Hunter said the province has already surpassed its original methane reduction target of 45 per cent, which was set for 2025.
“Alberta is not waiting for someone else to solve the methane challenge. We are doing it faster than promised while producing more of the energy the world needs,” Hunter said. “Our innovators and energy producers are proving that technology, smart regulation and a relentless focus on results can deliver extraordinary progress.”
Alberta reports that it achieved its original target of reducing oil and gas methane emissions by 45 per cent in 2022, three years before the 2025 deadline.
Methane regulation is also part of a broader federal-provincial agreement signed in November 2025. The memorandum of understanding committed Ottawa and Alberta to pursuing an arrangement that would allow the province to maintain its regulatory system, provided it delivers equivalent emissions reductions.
In March 2026, the two governments reached an agreement-in-principle setting out a proposed framework for Alberta to achieve a 75 per cent reduction in oil and gas methane emissions from 2014 levels by 2035. The arrangement would allow Alberta to retain regulatory responsibility if its system meets the agreed emissions targets and other requirements of a final equivalency agreement.
Alberta reports spending approximately $172 million on methane-reduction technology since 2019. The investment has supported testing infrastructure and equipment improvements intended to help energy companies identify and reduce methane releases. The province also says some of the technologies developed through these efforts are being used internationally, although specific examples have not been provided.
Provincial incentive programmes have helped energy companies install equipment designed to limit methane releases, including low- and no-bleed pneumatic devices. The province says more than 61,000 devices have been installed through its Emission Offset System, although the reporting period and precise programme figures require further confirmation.
Alberta Energy Regulator data show that reported venting volumes fell by 9.7 per cent in 2024, while flaring volumes increased by 11.9 per cent. The changes occurred as crude bitumen production rose by 4.3 per cent and crude oil production increased by 3.4 per cent.
Alberta officials point to national and international recognition of the province’s methane regulations, which address emissions from flaring, venting and equipment leaks. Specific awards or international recognition were not identified in the information provided.
