The Canadian Energy Partnership for Environmental Innovation (CEPEI) has been in place for over 25 years. Its members put forward specific emissions related and other programs and projects that are co-funded by members. The focus under CEPEI is to collect data that support regulatory compliance and tracking emerging environmental issues with a view to being ready to address them when they become matters of regulation or of public attention.
Today, there are two widely used CGA and CEPEI databases including a greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) dataset and a criteria air contaminants data set. CEPEI has also collected data over three measurement campaigns to characterize trace contaminants in natural gas. CEPEI data has been used to advocate for our sector and highlight the environmental attributes of natural gas, including in Canada’s National Inventory Reports (NIRs).
The data is underpinned by many measurement and technical studies. The results of this work – emissions factors and calculation approaches -reside in one of our cornerstone protocols, the Emissions Estimation Manual. This manual is a living document reviewed by and referenced by government and verification bodies. A second protocol, also a repository for our emissions factor work, is the CEPEI Combustion Emissions Calculator. This is used by our members, and listed by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) website for mandatory reporting. It’s sent out to nearly 700 natural gas customers, including consulting experts each year.
Recently, CEPEI has completed industry guidance related to interpretation of and compliance with the federal Methane Regulations and the Output Based Pricing System requirements, under the federal Carbon Pollution Pricing Act
Finally, on tracking emerging issues, CEPEI represents CGA/CEPA on various Technical Working Groups and actively engages with the American Gas Association’s environmental committees, and on the International Gas Union’s Methane Experts Group.
For more information on calculators and the Canadian Energy Partnership for Environmental Innovation, please contact Christine Cinnamon at ccinnamon@cga.ca.