Alberta has slashed methane emissions by 62% while increasing oil production, putting the province ahead of schedule in meeting its environmental targets, according to new provincial government data.Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter announced the updated figures Thursday, saying Alberta is on track to meet its goal of reducing methane emissions by 75% below 2014 levels by 2035.The announcement coincides with Methane Day at the Canadian Pavilion during the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye.“Alberta is not waiting for someone else to solve the methane challenge,” said Hunter.“We are doing it faster than promised while producing more of the energy the world needs.”The province says improved measurement methods, advanced technology and more accurate industry reporting have confirmed the 62% reduction.The updated figures also show Alberta achieved its original target of cutting methane emissions by 45% in 2021, four years ahead of its 2025 deadline.Hunter credited Alberta's energy industry and technology sector for the reductions.“Our innovators and energy producers are proving that technology, smart regulation and a relentless focus on results can deliver extraordinary progress,” he said.“We reached our first target years early – we have now cut methane by 62% and we are not slowing down.”.The reductions come as Alberta continues to increase energy production.According to a recent Alberta Energy Regulator report, bitumen production climbed 4.3%, while crude oil production increased 3.4%.The regulator also reported declining volumes of natural gas released through venting and flaring.The provincial government says the figures demonstrate that methane emissions can be reduced without restricting oil and gas production.Alberta has spent approximately $172 million on methane reduction technology since 2019.The money has supported testing facilities, equipment upgrades and new technologies, some of which are now being used internationally.The province's Emission Offset System has also helped energy companies install more than 61,000 devices designed to reduce methane emissions.The government says its approach combines provincial regulations, industry innovation and incentives encouraging companies to adopt new technology.Alberta's methane reduction record is also a key component of negotiations with Ottawa over environmental regulations.Under a November 2025 memorandum of understanding between the federal and provincial governments, both sides agreed to pursue regulatory equivalency for methane emissions.A subsequent agreement-in-principle reached in March 2026 established a path toward reducing oil and gas methane emissions by 75% below 2014 levels by 2035.The province says its progress supports keeping methane regulation under provincial authority rather than imposing overlapping federal requirements..Alberta has long maintained that its own regulatory system can deliver emissions reductions while protecting the competitiveness of its energy industry.The province was the first major oil-and-gas-producing jurisdiction to introduce flaring emission requirements, beginning in the early 1990s.Since then, Alberta has expanded its regulations governing flaring, venting and fugitive methane emissions.Methane is a potent greenhouse gas released during oil and natural gas production, making reductions a major focus of climate policies in Canada and internationally.The Alberta government says its latest results demonstrate that technological improvements and industry-led solutions can deliver significant environmental gains without reducing energy output.Hunter is expected to highlight those achievements at COP31 as Alberta promotes its provincial regulatory approach to international delegates.
