Climate policy works – but these sectors undercut progress: report

Emissions from oil and gas production and from buildings accounted for 72 per cent of the total increase in emissions, according to a climate change report.

Canada has been successful in significantly reducing emissions, but the progress is being undercut by rising emissions in three sectors, a new report by the Canadian Climate Institute says.

According to the report, climate policy and market drivers, including clean energy technology deployment, decreased emissions by 22.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide between 2021 and 2022. On the other hand, emissions rose in some sectors by a combined total of 37.1 metric tons. This means that despite climate policy, Canada saw a net increase of 14.2 metric tons of emissions, the report says.

Emissions from oil and gas production and from buildings accounted for 72 per cent of the total increase in emissions.

“The rise in emissions from buildings was largely due to increased heating demand from a colder winter,” the report said.

The report said all sectors of the Canadian economy have seen a reduction in emissions since 2005, except for oil and gas, buildings and agriculture. Oil and gas emissions have gone up by more than 15 per cent since 2005, while emissions from buildings have gone by nearly nine per cent.

However, Canada has been performing better when it comes to electricity generation. Emissions from the electricity sector are less than half of what they were in 2005 – a reduction of 55.6 per cent. The report said Canada’s electricity grid is 84 per cent non-emitting, compared with 40 per cent of the U.S. grid.

“Our Early Estimate of Canada’s 2022 emissions shows that climate policy and clean technology are cutting emissions —but that progress is being swamped by the continued rise in emissions from oil and gas and buildings,” said Rick Smith, president of the Canadian Climate Institute.

“Acting quickly to cap emissions from oil and gas, reducing methane leaks and expanding clean electricity will accelerate our progress, while building a more prosperous and competitive future for Canada.”