. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/CAN/363 
23 April 2012  
 (12-2159) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Department of the Environment  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :  Canadian Enquiry 
Point, 200-270 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontari o, Canada, K1P 6N7 Tel.:  +1 613 238 3222, 
Fax:  +1 613 569 7808, E-mail:  enquirypoint@scc.ca   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  On-road heavy-duty 
vehicles and engines (ICS: 13.040, 43.060, 43.080, 43.160)  
5. Title, number of pages and langu age(s) of the notified document:  Proposed Heavy-Duty 
Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulatio ns (Available in English and French, 
116 pages).      
6. Description of content:  Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are prim ary contributors to climate 
change.  The most significant sources of GHG emissions are anthropogenic, mostly as a result 
of combustion of fossil fuels.  The emissi ons of GHGs have been increasing significantly 
since the industrial revolution a nd this trend is likely to continue if no action is taken.  
Transportation is one of the largest sources of GHG emissions in Canada, accounting for 
about 28% of total emissions in 2009. Heavy-dut y vehicles accounted for around 7% of total 
GHG emissions or 24% of transportation emis sions. Accordingly, taking action to reduce 
emissions from new on-road heavy-duty vehicles is an essential element of the Government 
of Canada's strategy to reduce air pollutant  and GHG emissions to protect the environment 
and the health of Canadians.  
The objective of the proposed Heavy-Duty Vehicles Greenhous e Gas Emission Regulations  
(the proposed Regulations), unde r CEPA 1999, is to reduce GHG  emissions by establishing 
mandatory GHG emission standards for new on-ro ad heavy-duty vehicles  and engines of the 
2014 and later model years that are aligned with U.S. standards. The development of common 
North America standards will provide a level pl aying field that will lead North American 
manufacturers to produce more advanced vehicl es, which enhances th eir competi tiveness. G/TBT/N/CAN/363 
Page 2  
 
  The proposed Regulations would introduce prog ressively more stringent GHG emission 
standards for new on-road heavy- duty vehicles and engi nes that would align with the national 
GHG emission standards and test procedures of  the United States Environmental Protection 
Agency for the 2014 and later model years. The proposed Regulations would apply to 
companies manufacturing and importing new on-road  heavy-duty vehicles and engines for the 
purpose of sale into Canada. It would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the whole range 
of new on-road heavy-duty vehicl es from full-size pick-up trucks  and vans to road tractors 
(i.e., semi-trucks) and buses, as well as a wide variety of vocational vehicles such as: freight, 
delivery, service, cement, garbage and du mp trucks. The standa rds in the proposed 
Regulations would address emissions of CO2,  N2O and CH4 from heavy-duty vehicles and 
engines and would also include measures to require reductions in leakage of the 
hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant used in  cabin air-conditioning systems. 
The proposed Regulations also include provision s that establish compliance flexibilities 
designed to provide appropria te lead-time for technologica l improvements and a smooth 
transition to a more stringent regulatory program.  These flexibilities include a CO2 credit system for generating, banking a nd trading emission credits that could be used to offset any 
emission deficits incurred.  Cr edits would be obtained by co mpanies whose fleet emission 
levels fall below the applicable standard, while deficits would be incurred by companies 
whose fleet emissions exceed the applicable st andard. Flexibilities also include additional 
credits for vehicles with advanced and innovative technol ogy vehicles.  Companies would 
also be required to submit annual reports a nd to maintain records relating to the GHG 
emission performance of their fleets.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health and the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   Canada Gazette , Part I, 14 April 2012, Pa ges 920-1035 (available in 
English and French)     
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    Normally within 5 to 8 months of publication in 
the Canada Gazette , Part I. 
On the date the measure is adopted. 
10. Final date for comments:  13 June 2012 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body:    
The electronic version of the regulator y text can be downloaded at:   
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/ 2012/2012-04-14/pdf/g1-14615.pdf#page=20  ( Canada 
Gazette ) 
or  http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/ p1/2012/2012-04-14/html/reg1-eng.html  (English)  
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/ p1/2012/2012-04-14/html/reg1-fra.html   (French