Canada announced Thursday that its greenhouse gas emissions had fallen in 2022 compared to 2005, although they are slightly higher than the levels recorded during the coronavirus pandemic. Emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases (GHG) represented 708 megatons of CO2 equivalent in 2022, a decrease of 7.1% compared to 2005 levels, according to an annual government report federal released Thursday.
“Emissions have never been so low in 25 years in Canada”, declared the Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault, during a press conference. Considering that the efforts “relentless” from Canada “bear fruit”he claimed that the country was “on the right track” to achieve its climate targets. The report, however, shows that 2022 levels are higher than those recorded in the previous two years when the global pandemic crippled economies. Ottawa has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 40 to 45% compared to 2005 levels by 2030.
New measures to come
Steven Guilbeault acknowledged that the transportation, construction, accommodation and oil and gas industry sectors contribute significantly to polluting emissions, but insisted that the general trend was downward. The oil and gas sector is by far the most polluting in 2022, with 31% of total emissions, according to the report. Transport then follows at 22% of the total.
“We need to build on our momentum with new measures like capping emissions from the oil and gas sector and investing in the electric vehicle supply chain”, continued Steven Guilbeault. In recent months, Canada has managed to convince several global automotive giants such as Honda, Volkswagen and Stellantis to set up on its territory to build electric vehicle and battery factories.
