Canada: Fuels
Regulatory Background
Until 2026, transportation fuel standards in Canada were developed by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) and covered middle distillate fuels, gasoline/ethanol blends and aviation fuels. Compliance with CGSB petroleum standards is voluntary. In March 2026, CGSB was wound down as a cost cutting measure by the federal government and further standards development was paused until a new standards development organization(s) is (are) identified to take over and manage the CGSB standards catalogue.
Regulatory requirements for fuels are set at the federal and provincial levels. Federal regulatory requirements enacted under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act: 1999 include limits on sulfur and carbon intensity for gasoline and diesel and benzene and phosphorous for gasoline [6269]. Provincial regulations can also regulate renewable fuels content for diesel and gasoline and vapor pressure for gasoline fuels. Quebec regulatory requirements incorporate the requirements found in CGSB standards.
Regulatory requirements affecting a particular fuel are typically listed in an informative annex of the applicable CGSB fuel standard.
Diesel Fuel
CGSB requirements for diesel fuel are found in CAN/CGSB-3.517 [6378]. In 2025, CAN/CGSB-3.517 was updated to allow 5% biodiesel accompanied by the withdrawal of the B5 standard, CAN/CGSB-3.520 [6263][6378][6265].
Other CGSB standards for diesel fuels include:
- Diesel fuel containing biodiesel (B6-B20), CAN/CGSB-3.522 [6266],
- Biodiesel (B100) for blending in middle distillate fuels, CAN/CGSB-3.524 [6267], and
- Naval distillate fuel, CAN/CGSB-3.11 [6268].
Middle distillate standards that have been withdrawn include:
- Off-Road Diesel Fuel, CAN/CGSB-3.6 was withdrawn in 2015. Prior to 2007, this standard was named Regular Sulphur Diesel Fuel.
- Mining Diesel Fuel, CAN/CGSB-3.16 was withdrawn in 2013 and CAN/CGSB 3.517 was modified to cover under-ground mining applications.
- Diesel fuel for locomotive-type medium-speed diesel engines, CAN/CGSB-3.18 was withdrawn in 2021. The standard was no longer used by Canadian Railways. CAN/CGSB3.517 was modified to cover locomotive applications that could still use 500 ppm sulfur fuel.
- Diesel Fuel Containing Low Levels of Biodiesel (B1-B5), CAN/CGSB-3.520 [6265],
Gasoline Fuel
CGSB standards relevant to fuels for spark ignition engines include:
- Automotive gasoline, CAN/CGSB-3.5 [6264],
- Automotive ethanol fuel (E50-E85 and E20-E25), CAN/CGSB-3.512 [6785],
- Denatured fuel ethanol for use in automotive spark-ignition fuels, CAN/CGSB-3.516 [6786], and
- Propane for fuel purposes, CAN/CGSB-3.514 [6787].
In 2025, CAN/CGSB-3.511, Oxygenated automotive gasoline containing ethanol (E1-E10 and E11-E15), was combined with CAN/CGSB-3.5 to cover all gasoline fuels from E0 to E15.
Renewable Fuels
Regulations limiting the carbon intensity of diesel and gasoline fuels, the Clean Fuel Regulations, were enacted in 2021 to replace regulations enacted in 2010, the Renewable Fuels Regulations, that required the addition of renewable fuels [6270][6271]. The Renewable Fuels Regulations were repealed in 2024.
The Clean Fuel Regulations require gasoline and diesel primary suppliers (i.e., producers and importers) to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of the gasoline and diesel they produce in, and import into, Canada from 2016 CI levels by 3.5 gCO2e/MJ in 2023, increasing to 14 gCO2e/MJ in 2030.
Provincial regulations can also regulate renewable fuels content for diesel and gasoline.