Question Period Note: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

Q1 — How is the Government supporting climate change mitigation in the agriculture sector? Q2 — What actions has the Government taken to reduce methane emissions from the agriculture sector? Q3 — What is the Government doing in response to nitrous oxide emissions from synthetic fertilizer application?

R.1 - Since 2021, the Government has announced over $1.5 billion to help the agriculture sector mitigate and adapt to climate change. Programs like Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs, On-Farm Climate Action Fund, and the Agricultural Clean Technology Program support the adoption of on-farm practices and technologies that cut emissions and build resilience.

The $3.5-billion, five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 3 to 5 megatonnes. Sustainable CAP includes the $250-million Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program, cost-shared with provinces and territories, to help producers conserve and enhance resilient landscapes.

Budget 2022 invested $100 million in research on sustainable agriculture and climate change through the Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative, led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This research supports transformative solutions for a sustainable, resilient, and profitable agriculture sector in a net-zero economy. R.2 - Canada is committed to cutting methane emissions by 30% by 2030 under the Global Methane Pledge. Our Methane Strategy is driving down emissions across sectors, including agriculture.
The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge is investing $12 million in made-in-Canada solutions to cut cattle methane.13 innovators were announced in Summer 2024 and are already advancing prototypes to reduce enteric methane from cattle.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is developing several protocols under Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System, including ones that could support methane emissions reductions in the agriculture sector such as the Reducing Enteric Methane from Beef Cattle and the Manure Methane Emissions federal offset protocols. R.3 - Canada has set a 30% fertilizer emissions reduction target by 2030, focused on cutting emissions, not fertilizer use. Farmers will be supported with voluntary measures that reduce emissions while protecting yields and profitability.
Since 2021, the Government has announced over $1.5 billion to help farmers adopt practices and technologies that improve nutrient management. Through Sustainable CAP, producers have access to cost-shared programs that enhance nutrient use efficiency.
AAFC research is driving new tools, practices, and technologies to reduce emissions in crop and livestock production. Canada helped launch the Efficient Fertilizer Consortium, partnering internationally to advance next-generation fertilizers.
In 2023, a Fertilizer Emissions Reduction Working Group brought experts together to explore solutions and provide recommendations for a collaborative path forward.

GHG Sources and Sinks in Agriculture

Agriculture contributes approximately 10% of Canada’s total GHG emissions through crop production, animal production, and on-farm fuel use. Agricultural emissions are primarily driven by biological processes (e.g., nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizers and manure, methane emissions from livestock feed digestion), as well as fossil fuel combustion in farm machinery and equipment. The sector also has significant potential to act as a “carbon sink” through the adoption of land management practices that increase soil carbon storage by removing it from the atmosphere, which can help offset emissions from other sources.

Environment and Climate Change Programming

Since 2021, the Government has announced over $1.5 billion in funding to help the sector mitigate and adapt to climate change. This includes the $185-million Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs, $704.1-million Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund, $429.4-million Agricultural Clean Technology Program, and $12-million Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge.

Climate change and the environment is one of five priority areas under the $3.5-billion, five-year Sustainable CAP, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by three to five megatonnes over its duration. This is supported through the $250 million FPT cost-shared Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program and other region-specific programs to scale up the adoption of emission-reducing practices.

Fertilizer Emissions Reduction Target

In December 2020, the Government released its strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, which outlines a number of measures to reduce GHG emissions across the economy. This includes setting a national fertilizer emissions reduction target of 30% below 2020 levels by 2030 and working with fertilizer manufacturers, farmers, and provinces and territories to develop an approach to meet it. The target does not mandate a reduction in the amount of fertilizer that can be used on Canadian farms but rather is designed to build on progress farmers have already made in reducing emissions and applying fertilizers more efficiently.

Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System

Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System is designed to encourage cost-effective domestic emissions reductions and removals from activities that go beyond business as usual and are not required by regulation. Protocols under development for the agriculture sector include Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle, Reducing Manure Methane Emissions, and Enhanced Soil Organic Carbon. These protocols are being developed with input from Technical Expert Teams, which include AAFC scientists and analysts.

In December 2023, a draft Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle federal offset protocol was published for a 60-day public comment period, which concluded on February 6, 2024. The protocol is intended for proponents undertaking a project to reduce enteric methane emissions in confined beef cattle feeding operations through improved management, diet reformulation, the use of feed additives, growth promoters, or other innovative strategies.
Additionally, a draft Reducing Manure Methane Emissions protocol was published in February 2025, for a 60-day public comment period, ending on April 29, 2025. The intent of this protocol is to create opportunities for farmers, livestock operation owners, and other project developers to implement projects that treat liquid manure with one or more manure treatment systems to reduce methane emissions.

• The Government of Canada is committed to mitigating climate change to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for Canadian agriculture.

• Farmers are responsible stewards of the land, and government support helps them build on their progress and meet Canada’s climate goals.

• Since 2021, $1.5 billion in funding has been announced to help the agriculture sector mitigate and adapt to climate change, including support for on-farm practices and technologies that reduce emissions and build resilience.