Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction performance

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction with economic growth

Overall emissions in the province are declining. As of 2023, Alberta’s total emissions have declined by 25.1 million tonnes – an 8.7% reduction since 2015.

• Electricity sector emissions decreased 22 Mt from 2015 to 2023 – a 53.6% decline (2005 to 2023 is a 60% decline).
• Natural gas production and processing emissions decreased 12.5 Mt from 2015 to 2023 – a 23.6% decline.
• Conventional oil emissions decreased 4.0 Mt from 2015 to 2023 – an 18.8% decline.
• Transportation emissions decreased 3.4 Mt from 2015 to 2023 – a 12.4% decline.
• Heavy industry emissions decreased 1.6 Mt from 2015 to 2023 – an 8.0% decline.

Alberta had the greatest absolute reduction in emissions between 2022 to 2023 of any Canadian province or territory, reducing emissions by 2.1 million tonnes. According to Canada’s 2025 National Inventory Report, Alberta’s total emissions were 263.4 million tonnes in 2023, representing a 0.8% reduction from 2022.

Notably, emissions declined while the economy grew.

• Alberta has lowered emissions and reduced projected growth in emissions significantly, decoupling our emissions growth from economic growth.
• Alberta decreased its emissions intensity from 1.01 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per $1,000 of GDP (2015 dollars) in 2005 to 0.75 in 2023 – a 26% decline.
• Alberta’s GDP increased 41% between 2005 and 2023 while emissions grew by just 4.8%.  

Methane reductions from conventional oil and gas

In 2015, Alberta was the first regional government in North America to commit to reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The province committed to reducing these emissions by 45% from 2014 levels by 2025 and reached that target 3 years early.

Electricity emission reductions

Electricity emissions have declined by 60% since 2005. Alberta will have avoided 235 Mt CO₂e between 2015 and 2030 by moving to a lower-emitting electricity mix, including getting off coal early.

In 2015, Alberta announced the province would eliminate emissions from coal power generation by 2030. Alberta achieved this target more than 6 years ahead of schedule, with the last coal‑fired power plant in Alberta transitioning to natural gas fuel in June 2024.

In 2016, Alberta set a target to generate 30% of its total electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and an interim target of 20% in 2025. Alberta’s renewable wind and solar energy growth has the province on track to meet or exceed this target.

• In 2022, 1.8 gigawatts of new wind and solar capacity installed in Canada. Nearly 1.4 gigawatts (or 80%) was in Alberta.
• In 2023, renewable generation provided approximately 18% of Alberta’s total electricity generation.
• In 2023, more than $1.6 billion worth of renewable energy projects were completed. Alberta’s renewable energy capacity increased to 6,614 megawatts, up from 3,028 megawatts in 2019. Renewable-energy capacity is expected to continue growing.

The emissions intensity of Alberta’s electricity grid has decreased from 800 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour of electricity generated in 2005 to 470 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour in 2023. This is equivalent to a 41% reduction in 2022 from 2005 levels. These estimates are preliminary and may be subject to revision by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Transportation emission reductions

Oil sands improvements

The emissions intensity of Alberta oil sands bitumen production has declined by 26% per barrel from 2012 to 2023. At the same time, production increased by 96%.

• In-situ emissions intensity declined by 13.0% (from 0.489 to 0.426 t CO2e per cubic metre) and integrated mining emissions intensity declined by 25.5% (from 0.587 to 0.437 t CO2e per cubic metre) from 2012 to 2023.
• Standalone mining operations, which were not present in 2012, are responsible for a significant portion of this decline in emissions intensity. Stand-alone mining had an emissions intensity of 0.206 t CO2e per cubic metre in 2023, which is roughly 49% of the emissions intensity of in-situ mining and 47% of the emissions intensity of integrated mining operations.
• Forecasts expect that intensity will likely fall 20 to 28% in the oil and gas sector between 2020 and 2035 – IHS Markit/S&P Global Report on the trajectory of oil sands GHG emissions: 2009-35

Industrial carbon pricing – TIER impacts

In 2007, Alberta introduced the first industrial carbon pricing and emissions trading system in North America. Since then, this has reduced emissions, supported industry with a flexible approach and helped grow Alberta’s economy.

As of April 30, 2025, the most active credits by protocol are:

• Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions from Pneumatic Devices (methane reductions from oil and gas), with 6997097 credits.
• Wind-powered Electricity Generation, with 5402180 credits.
• Enhanced Oil Recovery (utilization and storage of captured CO2 for oil recovery), with 5026048 credits.
• CO2 Capture and Permanent Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers, with 4309749 credits.
• Solar Electricity Generation, with 1269060 credits.
• Energy Generation from the Combustion of Biomass Waste, with 798279 credits.
• Vent gas reduction with 510909 credits.
• Conservation Cropping, with 482882 credits.
• Landfill Gas Capture and Combustion, with 438795 credits.

Investments in technology and energy efficiency measures to reduce emissions varies by site. Alberta has seen adoption of:

• co-generation of electricity and steam
• off coal and natural gas generation uptake
• renewable energy
• methane mitigation, all at current and emergent price points

The province anticipates continued growth of carbon capture, utilization and storage, solvents for extraction, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.

Additional resources

• Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction System
• Alberta Emission Offset System

Carbon capture, utilization and storage

Alberta has a proven track record of supporting carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), with approximately 15 million tonnes of CO₂ safely sequestered since 2015.

From the Alberta Emission Offset Registry as of May 2025, Alberta projects have sequestered and permanently stored more than 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions through carbon capture and storage and enhanced oil recovery projects.

Alberta has invested more than $1.2 billion in the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL) and Quest projects. Together, these projects have captured and stored more than 12.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. This capture estimate is calculated from the Alberta Emission Offset Registry.

• In total, Alberta has approximately $1.9 billion invested or committed to CCUS projects and programs since 2009 and will continue this leadership.
• Alberta is home to the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre, a piloting test centre to de-risk CCUS technologies.
• In 2023, Alberta provided TIER funds to the International CCS Knowledge Centre to form a new knowledge exchange platform to provide timely and efficient open access curation of lessons learned on CCS projects, proactively share best practices from developers from project inception through operation, and support better understanding of CCS.
• In 2024, the province introduced the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program to provide an anticipated $3.2 and $5.3 billion in support over the next decade to help major industries incorporate CCUS into their operations by providing grant funding for new eligible capital project costs.

This total is updated after emission reductions are quantified, third party verified and added to the registry. Project proponents may report different numbers according to private calculations, but the province relies on totals that are accurately reported to the official registry.

Additional resources

• Alberta Emission Offset Registry
• Alberta Carbon Conversion Centre
• International CCS Knowledge Centre
• Emissions Reduction Alberta
• Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program

Additional resources

• Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan