Our position continues to be that voluntary cost-effective measures by industry can help Canada meet its national and international emissions reduction objectives. The Association anticipates that, on a percentage of production basis, greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas operations will continue to decrease as new measures are put in place. However, because of the continuing increase in demand for natural gas, it is not certain that there will be a decline in absolute emission volumes from this energy. What is certain, says CGA, is that total emissions will be less if natural gas is used to replace other more polluting fuels like coal and oil. During combustion, natural gas emits insignificant particulate matter compared to coal and oil products.
Natural gas emits much less carbon dioxide than coal or oil.
For example, switching from oil to natural gas for residential heating can lower carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 30 percent. New natural gas technology is being developed to improve end-use efficiency even further. Certainly, while there are no perfect remedies to the multitude of environmental challenges our world faces, the effective and efficient use of natural gas is a step in the right direction. The Canadian Gas Association is the national trade organization for Canada's natural gas industry. Its 270 members span the industry spectrum and include Canada's major natural gas transmission companies, distributors, energy service providers, manufacturers of gas appliances and equipment, and producers.