"Canada's latest greenhouse gas emissions data gives an
encouraging picture of progress," federal Environment Minister
Steven Guilbeault said in a statement. "The slight emissions
rebound after the pandemic is smaller than originally expected."
Guilbeault said the data showed Canadian economic growth was
getting cleaner as greenhouse gas pollution decoupled from
national gross domestic product. The emissions intensity of the
entire economy has dropped 42% since 2005.
The report showed emissions from Canada's two
highest-polluting sectors, the oil and gas industry and
transportation, rose by 4% and 5% respectively between 2020 and
2021 as travel increased and fossil fuel production grew.
The two sectors combined now account for half of all
Canada's emissions.
Over the same time period emissions from electricity,
buildings and agriculture declined slightly.
Dave Sawyer, principal economist for the Canadian Climate
Institute, said the latest report showed clear progress on
Canada's emissions goals and that government decarbonization
policies were having an impact.
"It's the first time we are seeing evidence of policy biting
across a number of sectors," Sawyer said.
(Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
By Nia Williams
April 14 (Reuters) - Canada's 2021 carbon emissions were
8.4% lower than 2005 levels, a government report showed on
Friday, although they rose from 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic
kept people at home and depressed economic activity.
Canada, the world's fourth-largest oil producer, is aiming
to cut emissions 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Greenhouse gas emissions were 670 megatonnes in 2021, an
increase of 1.8% on 2020 levels as pandemic restrictions eased
and the economy picked up, according to the annual national
inventory report, which Canada submits to the United Nations.
But emissions remained 7.4% below pre-pandemic levels. The
government attributed the progress to factors including fuel
switching, modernizing industrial processes and growth in the
clean economy.
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