Canada’s emissions down 6.7 per cent from 2005 levels, but researchers urge swift action to meet targets
CTV
A new report released by the Canadian Climate Institute, says emissions in the country in 2021 were up 2.8 per cent from the previous year, but down 6.7 per cent from 2005 levels.
New data estimates a promising reduction of Canada's carbon footprint, but indicates that efficient policy implementation is needed in order to accelerate the momentum.
A new report released by the Canadian Climate Institute, says emissions in the country in 2021 were up 2.8 per cent from the previous year, but down 6.7 per cent from 2005 levels.
According to the data, Canada generated 691 megatonnes (Mt) of emissions in 2021, slightly more than 2020 as a result of restrictions due to COVID-19.
These findings indicate a positive “decoupling” between economic growth and carbon emissions, the report says, as emissions per unit of economic output have dropped by 27.5 per cent since 2005.
The researchers also found that while emissions increased 30 Mt from 2020 to 2021, improvements in decarbonization and energy efficiency meant that the net overall increase was only 19 Mt.
This indicates that with the strength of policy and market drivers, emissions were cut by 13 Mt in this time frame.
Although 2020 saw a sharp decline in economic activity due to pandemic, 2021 brought an economic rebound, and oil and gas and the transportation sectors were cited as the largest contributors to rising emissions at that time.
