Canada funds Woodfibre LNG with $200M while launching anti-methane initiative

Canada announced $200 million in federal support for the Woodfibre LNG export terminal in Squamish, BC, on the same day Ottawa joined the AVOID-Methane initiative at COP31. The article explains why the government's 'net-zero LNG' label only covers the facility's hydro-powered operations, not methane leaks from fracking in the Montney region or emissions when the gas is burned overseas. Woodfibre LNG is projected to produce about 6.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. That implies $1.2 billion to $3.1 billion in annual societal damages using the federal social cost of carbon. A 2024 Cornell study also found LNG has a greenhouse gas footprint 33 percent worse than coal when processing and shipping are included.