What are greenhouse gas emissions?
It is important to monitor, maintain, and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) because high carbon emissions as they aid in climate change. Climate change is a big concern because it can cause a range of terrible effects, including warmer temperatures, severe storms, drought, rising oceans, lack of food, poor air quality, health risks, poverty and displacement, and mass extinction.1
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Context of Canada
This is relevant to Canada because we account for 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making us 10th on the list of countries for the highest greenhouse gas emissions globally.2 In 2005, Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions were 732 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq),3 which is equivalent to 145.7 million cars yearly emissions (the average car produces 4.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly).4
This number is now used as our base number when determining our reduction targets to be set for the Paris Agreement. Canada’s target for greenhouse gas emissions is to reduce the total yearly emissions by 40-45% (according to Canada’s enhanced Paris Agreement, in the original agreement, it was only 30%).5 Therefore, the new target for Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions is 400-440 Mt CO2 eq (402.6 to 439.2 Mt CO2 eq).6 Canada’s “budget” of allowed greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2050 is 420 gigatons in order to comply and meet the Paris Agreement goal; however, at our current rate, we will actually hit 1325 gigatons in that time frame.7 That is more than 900 gigatons over the agreement. This is relevant to Ontario and its building sector because Canada’s building sector in 2021 accounted for 13% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and actually 18% if electricity is included.8 Even when looking at individual provinces and territories of Canada, Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions are second only to Alberta according to a study conducted in 1990, 2005, and 2021.9
