Category Archives: Climate Change

Bill 16, 2011: Alberta Paves the Way for Cleaner Coal with In Situ Coal Gasification

By: Astrid Kalkbrenner

PDF Version: Bill 16, 2011: Alberta Paves the Way for Cleaner Coal with In Situ Coal Gasification

Legislation Commented On: Bill 16 – Energy Statutes Amendment Act, 2011

On 13 May 2011, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta passed the Energy Statutes Amendment Act (“Bill 16, 2011”). Bill 16, 2011 amends the following acts: the Alberta Utilities Commission Act, RSA 2007, c A-37.2, the Coal Conservation Act (CCA), RSA 2000, c C-17, the Electric Utilities Act, RSA 2003, c E-5.1, the Gas Utilities Act, RSA 2000, c G-5, the Oil and Gas Conservation Act (OGCA), RSA 2000, c O-6, the Oil Sands Conservation Act (OSCA), RSA 2000, c O-7, and the Pipeline Act (PA), RSA, c P-15. The amendments entered into force on 13 May 2011.

Bill 16, 2011 implements two central amendments to the regulatory regime of the above mentioned energy laws. The first amendment removes the Industrial Development Permit (IDP) legislation (see ERCB Bulletin 2010-42). In short, section 51 of the CCA, section 111 of the OGCA and section 27 of the OSCA cancel existing IDPs. The general repeal of these provisions makes it unnecessary to apply for an IDP in the future. See previous post by Nigel Bankes here. The second amendment clarifies the ERCB’s authority to regulate in situ coal development and sets out the requirements for in situ coal projects (see ERCB Bulletin 2009-36).

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CCS and CDM: The Eligibility of Carbon Capture and Storage Projects under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol – the Cancun Meeting of the Conference of the Parties

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: CCS and CDM: The Eligibility of Carbon Capture and Storage Projects under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol – the Cancun Meeting of the Conference of the Parties

Decision Commented On: UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, CoP\MoP Decision on “Carbon dioxide capture and storage in geological formations as clean development mechanism project activities”

The 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (KP) (CoP\MoP) concluded last week in Cancun. In the assessment of most observers this was a successful meeting but perhaps only because expectations were modest and anything seemed liked progress after the Copenhagen debacle of last year. But there is still much that remains to be done before countries can agree on a successor to the first commitment period of the KP which expires in 2012. Without such agreement the KP will simply die. Some, especially Europe, but also developing countries, want to see a second commitment period. But others, like Canada, point to the lack of inclusiveness of the KP (to say nothing of our own non-compliance which would result in a penalty on Canada during any second commitment period) and want to see an alternative to the KP that imposes emissions reduction obligations not only on the United States (not a party to the KP) but also on the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, India, China) as well as other developing countries.

The Meeting did make progress on number of larger matters including REDD+ (reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and on the narrower issue of the eligibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects under the clean development mechanism (CDM) of the KP. The purpose of this note is to provide an update on that debate.

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Mutatis Mutandis: The ERCB Speaks (in Latin) on the Subject of Carbon Capture and Storage

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: Mutatis Mutandis: The ERCB Speaks (in Latin) on the Subject of Carbon Capture and Storage

Matter Commented On: ERCB Bulletin 2010 – 22, ERCB Processes Related to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Projects, June 29, 2010

After a long period of cogitation the chief energy regulator in the province has finally provided a statement of how it proposes to approach the regulation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. The message is simple: apply the current rules, so far as they are applicable to CCS (the basic idea of mutatis mutandis). The issue is important: several task forces and many commentators have emphasised that the proponents of CCS projects need regulatory certainty if they are to plan and implement commercial scale CCS operations. Whether this ERCB Bulletin provides sufficient guidance to industry and sufficient comfort to the citizens of the province that CCS projects will be handled safely remains to be seen.

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Climate Change Legislation – Waiting for Obama; or Just Waiting

PDF Version: Climate Change Legislation – Waiting for Obama; or Just Waiting

Shaun Fluker’s environmental law non-event of the past decade  focused on case law (or lack thereof). My review of climate change legislation continues Shaun’s theme. We waited for federal legislation. Then we waited for the Obama climate change legislation. Now with the President’s Senate majority gone, how long can Canada continue to wait?

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The Tromsø Meeting of the Parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears: A Comment on Three Aspects of the Meeting Report

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: The Tromsø Meeting of the Parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears: A Comment on Three Aspects of the Meeting Report

Document Commented On: Meeting of the parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, Tromsø, Norway, 17 – 19 March 2009 Outcome of Meeting

A few weeks ago (March 17 – 19, 2009) the parties to the 1973 Polar Bear Agreement met in Tromsø to consider the further implementation of the Agreement. This is a significant breakthrough. Apart from a meeting of the parties back in 1981 when the Parties decided to continue the Agreement in force as contemplated by Article X(6) of the Agreement and in informal meeting of the range states in 2007, the parties have never considered the further implementation of this Agreement.

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