In its climate change plan, Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring Our Kyoto Commitment, and as further outlined in the July 16, 2005 Notice of Intent to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Large Final Emitters, the Government proposes to regulate Large Final Emitter companies under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999.

Large Final Emitters are companies that produce goods in emissions-intensive sectors including primary energy production, electricity production, and selected areas of mining and manufacturing production. The Climate Change Plan (2002) defines large final emitter sectors using the following two criteria:

• annual average emissions of 8 kt carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) per establishment or more; and
• annual average emissions of 20 kg CO₂e per $1000 gross production or more.

Manufacturing and Mining

The Large Final Emitters in the mining and manufacturing sectors are companies engaged in energy and emission intensive processes related to the extraction and transformation of basic raw materials into primary and intermediate products. The large emitters in these sectors include: chemicals; fertilizers; pulp and paper; mining; smelting and refining (including aluminum); aluminum, steel; cement; and lime. Other manufacturing industries, such as assembly operations, are not considered to be Large Final Emitters as they fall outside the threshold criteria for large emitters listed above.

Oil and Gas

The oil and gas sector is made up of oil and gas production, processing, transmission and distribution.

Electricity

Thermal electricity production will be covered by the proposed LFE regulations. Thermal sources, excluding co-generation, range in emissions intensity from 360 t CO₂e/GWh (highly efficient natural gas) to 700 - 1489 t CO₂e/GWh (coal).

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Large Final Emitters System, you can direct your message to:

Greenhouse Gas Reductions Directorate
Environment Canada
155 Queen Street, 2nd floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E3

Tel: (613) 943-1704
Fax: (613) 995-3663
E-mail: lfe-gef@ec.gc.ca

For general information on climate change, please visit the Climate Change web site of Canada or call 1 800 O Canada (1-8000-622-6232).