Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Highlights
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Greenhouse gas emissions
What is the issue?
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities enhance the Earth’s greenhouse effect thus contributing to global climate change. Through the Kyoto Protocol, Canada has committed to reduce its emissions to 6% below the 1990 total by 2008-2012. |
What is happening?
- In 2003, Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions were 24% above the 1990 total and 32% above the Kyoto Protocol target for 2008–2012.
- Greenhouse gas emissions per person rose 9% from 1990 to 2003; emissions per unit of gross domestic product fell 13%.
- The energy sector (including road transportation, fossil fuel industries and thermal electricity and heat production) accounted for 81% of total Canadian emissions in 2003 and 91% of the growth in emissions from 1990 to 2003.
- Alberta and Ontario had the highest emissions of all provinces in 2003. Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Alberta had the highest percentage increases in emissions compared with 1990.
Greenhouse gas emissions, Canada, 1990 to 2003
Source: Environment Canada. 2005. Canada’s Greenhouse Gas
Inventory, 1990–2003.
What does it mean?
Canadians are vulnerable to global climate changes that may result from increasing greenhouse gas emissions. A rise in global temperatures could affect, for example, the severity of heat waves, the migration of insects and infectious diseases, water availability, and crop yields. Extreme weather events could become more frequent. Sea levels are expected to rise. Indications of these effects have already been seen, especially in the North, where changes have been observed in ice cover, permafrost stability and wildlife distributions. The Kyoto Protocol specifies penalties for countries that do not meet their emissions reduction commitments.
Why is it happening?
Road transportation accounted for 19% of total emissions in 2003 and 23% of the growth in emissions from 1990, reflecting a shift in the types of vehicles used for personal transportation from automobiles to vans, sport utility vehicles and light-duty trucks. Other important sources were thermal electricity and heat production (18% of 2003 emissions, 27% of growth), and fossil fuel industries (10% of 2003 emissions, 13% of growth).
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