B.C. will roll out new regulations next year that will require all entities emitting more than 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually to publicly report their emissions.

Environment Minister Barry Penner says the move gives the province the lowest emissions threshold in Canada.

Ontario is proposing to make reporting mandatory for anyone emitting more then 25,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, and the federal reporting limit is set at 100,000 tonnes.

About 200 B.C. facilities will be required to report annually under the new regulation, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010.

The new rules will allow the province to accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions as it moves to introduce a cap-and-trade system, said Penner. Under such a system, companies that emit more than the limit would be able to virtually "trade" their excess emissions with companies below the limit for a certain price.

In 2008, the province passed legislation allowing it to participate in the joint Canada-U.S. Western Climate Initiative, which is also planning a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.

With files from The Canadian Press