Sept 19 (Askume) – Canada’s carbon emissions will fall slightly in 2023 compared with last year but will need to fall more rapidly to meet Ottawa’s 2030 climate targets, the Canadian Climate Institute think tank said on Thursday.
Why is this important?
Canada aims to reduce climate-warming carbon emissions by 40–45% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
But preliminary estimates of the country’s emissions, released by the institute seven months ahead of the government’s official national inventory report, show that progress toward the target has been slow and emissions from the oil and gas industry continue to rise.
By number
Total carbon emissions in 2023 are projected to be 702 million tonnes of carbon, down 1% from the previous year. Emissions are currently 8% below 2005 levels.
Oil and gas emissions rose by 1% annually as production increased and are now 12% higher than 2005 levels. The industry accounts for 31% of Canada’s total emissions, more than any other industry.
Emissions from transport and agriculture also increased year-on-year, while electricity and some other industries saw declines.
Key Quotes
“Our preliminary estimates show that emissions from oil, gas and transport are growing faster than those from electricity and buildings, slowing Canada’s climate progress,” said Dave Sawyer, chief economist at the Canadian Climate Institute.
what happens next
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has proposed imposing limits on oil and gas emissions from 2026 to help curb emissions from the industry.
However, this policy faces strong resistance from the fossil fuel industry and the opposition Conservative Party. Polls suggest the Conservatives could defeat the Liberals at the next federal election in October 2025.
