Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions fell for the second year in a row in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, when many Canadians stayed home in response to mandatory blockades to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Environment and Climate Change Canada unveiled its 2020 National Emissions Inventory Report on Thursday. It shows that the total emissions in 2020 amount to 672 megatons, which is a decrease of 738 megatons in 2019.
The nation’s numbers for 2019 increased by 8 megatons to 738 megatons to account for changes in methodology. Emission reporting is usually several years behind and is usually published annually in April.
The report shows that total emissions have decreased by 66 megatons in 2020, which is “equivalent to removing 20 million cars from the road,” Environment Minister Stephen Gilbo said in a statement.
The report warns that 2020 could be a temporary omission.
“This is the first report to trace the impact of the pandemic on emissions in Canada,” Gilbo said. “So we have to keep in mind that total emissions are likely to recover to some extent when Canada’s economy returns to life.”
The federal government’s plan is to reduce emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The report shows that Canada’s economy can grow without increasing carbon emissions. The country’s GDP grew by 22% between 2005 and 2020, but carbon emissions fell by 9.3% during that period.
“This report confirms the ongoing split between Canada’s economy and its emissions performance,” Gilbo said in a statement.
“In other words, Canada is showing the world how we can do more while polluting less.”
The breakdown of emissions in the report by sector shows that the country’s largest source of emissions, the oil and gas sector, has declined in 2020 from 203 to 179 megatons. Transport – another high-emission sector – saw its emissions fall from 185 megatons to 159 megatons.
Guilbeault said the cuts in the transport sector were “largely” due to Canadians avoiding flying and driving because of the blockade, which in turn reduced demand for oil and gas.
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Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions fell for the second year in a row in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, when many Canadians stayed home in response to mandatory blockades. This is good news, said MP Julie Dabrusin, parliamentary secretary to the environment minister, but she warned that there would probably be no such sharp decline next year. 0:36
Meanwhile, emissions from the agricultural sector increased from 67 megatons to 69 megatons in 2020.
“However, there are real signs of progress in the data,” Guillaume said, citing the phasing out of coal-fired electricity across the country.
None of the provinces or territories increased their total emissions, although Manitoba did not change. Alberta remains the largest source of emissions in the country among the provinces, followed by Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
The report improves the methodology
The report includes several methodological improvements that have led to better estimates of Canada’s emissions in previous years. Total emissions for 2019, for example, were revised to 738 megatons out of 730 megatons.
Better estimates of methane emissions have played a major role in this improvement. Odorless colorless gas accounts for 14% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and leaks from oil and gas equipment such as pipes and tanks. Canada has an ambitious plan to reduce methane emissions from the sector.
Dave Risk heads FluxLab at St. Francis Xavier in Nova Scotia, a research group that studies methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. His research showed last year that methane emissions were 1.5 times higher than Canada’s official inventory.
“I think there is definitely a positive development, that the inventory is under control and is being revised and the methodology is improved, because we know from field research that we have a difference between what we measure in the field and what the inventory suggests that our the emissions are, in fact, “Risk said.
“The right direction”
Better methane measurements help determine where leaks come from and give the government a better sense of whether its regulations work. 2020 was the first year that Canadian methane regulations came into force, and Risk said emissions figures show they are working.
“There are many oil and gas producers who have been diligent in achieving regulatory compliance and leaking and doing things like that. Others may be less diligent,” he said.
“But overall, this is the first full year of newly completed regulations, and things are definitely going in the right direction.”
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