Category: Emissions targets

The Canadian government's plan to reduce emissions from nitrogen fertilizer has gained widespread attention over the last few weeks, with plenty of unanswered questions and uncertainty surrounding the proposal. Originally announced in late 2020, the plan to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from synthetic fertilizer by 30 per cent in 2030 relative to a 2020... Read More

Fertilizer emissions have garnered quite a bit of attention across Canada, and although this isn't a new conversation, many questions still hang in the balance as the details get ironed out. In 2020, the federal government stated it wanted to see a 30 per cent reduction in fertilizer emissions by the year 2030. Some producers... Read More

From a crop nutrition perspective, nitrogen losses as N2O or nitrous oxide pale in comparison to what's lost in N2 form, but N2O has a much greater impact on the total greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer. As part of this Wheat School episode filmed at Manitoba Crop Diagnostic School, Manitoba Agriculture's John Heard shares a... Read More

Today, the Government of Canada published the Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR), which is to replace the previously existing Renewable Fuels Regulations. The new regulations focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The CFR set increasingly stringent requirements on producers and importers to reduce the carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel, according to a recent news... Read More

Greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogen fertilizer were reduced by approximately 20 per cent in the Canadian government's official 2022 greenhouse gas inventory report thanks to an update to how nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from fertilizer are estimated. The reduction, however, will not count toward the federal government's mandate to reduce emissions from fertilizer by 30... Read More

In an effort to gain a better understanding of agriculture on the Prairies, Liberal Member of Parliament for King-Hants in Nova Scotia, Kody Blois, recently visited Saskatchewan to learn about innovation happening in the province, and to hear what challenges producers are facing. Blois serves as the chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture... Read More

Agriculture received multiple mentions in the 2022 federal budget unveiled on Thursday, mostly in the context of climate programs that had previously been announced. The budget, with its projected $52.8 billion deficit, also included some tax changes that could potentially impact farmers. As part of this live episode of RealAg Politics, we unpacked what was... Read More

Grain Growers of Canada has announced a "Road to 2050" initiative aimed at helping the Canadian government work toward its commitment of net-zero emissions by 2050. “The ‘Road to 2050’ will propose a path forward that focuses on innovation, research and beneficial management practices. This will boost productivity while continuing to enhance soil quality, improving... Read More

While there are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding the federal government's goal of reducing nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer by 30 per cent by 2030, the organization that represents Canada's fertilizer manufacturers and suppliers is welcoming the release of a discussion paper outlining the government's plan. The document, in which the federal government summarizes... Read More

Methane production naturally occurs in the stomachs of ruminant animals, such as beef cattle. Microbes work together to carry out the digestion of plant cell walls, and one of the end products of the process is methane (which often gets "burped" out, not "farted.") Dr. Tim McAllister, research scientist in ruminant nutrition and microbiology at... Read More