Canada's greenhouse gas emissions

Historical and Political Context

Canada was first explored by English and French explorers at the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century. Both England and France laid claim to Canada; England by John Cabot’s landing at Newfoundland in 1497, and France by Jacques Cartier’s discovery of the Saint Lawrence River. A long period of conflict between the two countries over ownership of Canada ensued. With the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763, France recognized Canada as belonging to England and relinquished all of its claims. Canada has continued to maintain a close relationship with England (today referred to as the United Kingdom). However, through a series of British parliamentary acts, Canada has been granted legislative independence from the United Kingdom. This process began in 1867 with the British North American Act and continued into the twentieth century with the Statute of Westminster (1931) and the Canada Act (1982).

Canada has also enjoyed a long association with the United States, Britain’s other former North American colony. Economically, the two countries have had a long mutual dependency as each is the other’s major trading partner. During their long trade relationship, Canada and the United States have often disagreed, imposed tariffs, and at times been almost isolationist in their attitudes. However, with the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, their relationship has, in general, become one of free trade. Canada’s economy has evolved from rural to industrialized, yet primary materials, timber, oil, and gas, continue to play a very important role in the country’s economic sector.

Domestically, Canada is a country with a varied geographic makeup and a widely diverse population. Multiculturalism and diversity dominate Canada’s social and cultural life. Both English and French are recognized as official languages. While British and French cultural heritage and traditions are certainly a major part of Canada’s culture, those of Indigenous groups and Irish, Scots, and other immigrant groups, as well as American influences, are very visible in Canadian society. Canada is an active participant in the global community as a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations, the G-8 (which later became the G-7), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the Organisation of la Francophonie (OIF).

Impact of Canadian Policies on Climate Change

Canada is a vast country that possesses very large reserves of natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable. Hydropower, a clean, renewable source of energy, has been an important source of electricity for Canada, especially. However, from 1990 to 2004, the demand for electricity in Canada increased by some 23 percent, and from 2009 to 2022, energy use grew by 10.9 percent in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. The country increased its use of fossil fuels to meet this demand. Canada began developing the oil sands in the Athabasca Basin in the province of Alberta. The oil in the oil sands is bitumen, a thick, viscous oil that requires considerable processing to be usable. The oil cannot be extracted by drilling but requires either open pit extraction or strip mining. The extraction of this oil emits about 70 megatonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) each year, accounting for approximately 11 percent of Canada’s emissions. The oil producers and the Canadian government have engaged in a heated battle with environmentalist groups over the extraction and use of this oil.

In addition, Canadians have changed their preferences in the choice of motor vehicles. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and small pickup trucks became increasingly popular, resulting in an increase in fuel consumption. However, between 2013 and 2023, emissions from passenger gasoline cars decreased by 28 percent. Most of the increase in GHG emissions during the period came from the energy sector, responsible for 81 percent of the GHGs emitted by the 2020s.

Canada as a GHG Emitter

According to Environment Canada’s report, Canada had GHG emissions totaling 600 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 1990. The Kyoto Protocol, which Canada ratified in December 2002, calls for Canada to reduce these base year (1990) emissions by 6 percent. The GHG emissions target established for Canada by the 2008-2012 period is 568 million metric tons. From 1990 to 2004, Canada’s GHG emissions rose by some 27 percent. Although the greenhouse emissions per unit of GDP fell by 2004 by 14 percent, the Canadian economy experienced considerable expansion that resulted in a net increase in the total emissions. In addition, the ratio of GHG emissions to the population rose by 10 percent. Canada was responsible for approximately 2.3 percent of the world's GHG emissions, ranking seventh in the world in GHG emissions. The 2004 emissions of 758 million metric tons were 35 percent above the Kyoto Protocol target.

However, overall, between 2005 and 2023, Canada's GHGs decreased by about 8.5 percent. Emissions from electrical grids decreased by about 34 percent, largely due to the decreased use of coal-fired power. GHG emissions from oil and natural gas decreased 33 percent between 2013 and 2023. By the mid-2020s, the nation's emissions were the lowest they had been in nearly three decades.

Summary and Foresight

Canada’s greenhouse emissions were 35 percent above the Kyoto Protocol target in 2004; by 2006, Canada had reduced its emissions to 21 percent above the Kyoto Protocol target. In January 2006, a conservative government that opposed Canada’s participation in the Kyoto Protocol was in place. In April, the government announced that Canada could not possibly meet its Kyoto Protocol target for the 2008-2012 period. The government further stated that it was seeking an alternative to participation in the Kyoto Protocol and proposed the possibility of joining the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. The federal government also proposed legislation setting mandatory emission limits for industry. Subsequently, a bill was introduced to force the government to take the necessary steps for Canada to achieve its Kyoto Protocol target. However, these efforts fell short. Between 1990 and 2008, GHG emissions increased by 42.1 percent, and in 2011, the Canadian government withdrew from the protocol.

In 2015, the country began focusing its climate goals on the Paris Agreement. By 2022, Canada ranked as the eleventh-largest GHG-emitting country in the world. By 2025, Canada's overall emissions per unit of economic growth had dropped by 34 percent. However, some climate experts noted that decreasing emissions trends stalled between 2023 and 2024.

Key Facts

• Population: 41.65 million (2025 estimate)
• Area: 9,984,670 square kilometers
• Gross domestic product (GDP): $2.34 trillion (purchasing power parity, 2024 estimate)
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e): 600 in 1990; 650 in 1995; 758 in 2004; 682 in 2020; 694 in 2023
• Kyoto Protocol status: Ratified, 2002
• Paris Agreement status: Signed, 2016

Bibliography

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Daraji, Eleen, and Geoffrey Li. "Canada’s Industrial Energy Use Trends from 2009 to 2022 ." Statistics Canada , 5 June 2025, www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/16-508-x/16-508-x2025001-eng.htm. Accessed 26 Sept. 2025.

Dessler, Andrew E., and Edward A. Parson. The Science and Politics of Global Change: A Guide to the Debate. Cambridge UP, 2006.

"Greenhouse Gas Emissions ." Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 21 Mar. 2025, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/greenhouse-gas-emissions.html. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.

Lee, Hyun Young. “Sand Storm.” Wall Street Journal, Mar. 9, 2009, pp. R8-R9.

Marsden, William. Stupid to the Last Drop: How Alberta Is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (And Doesn’t Seem to Care). Reprint. Vintage Canada, 2008.

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Shogren, Jason F. The Benefits and Costs of the Kyoto Protocol. AEI Press, 1999.

"2025 National Inventory Report Supports Canada’s Climate Plan Is Working: Emissions Have Dropped to Their Lowest Level in 27 Years (Excluding Pandemic Years) ." Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, 21 Mar. 2025, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2025/03/2025-national-inventory-report-supports-canadas-climate-plan-is-working-emissions-have-dropped-to-their-lowest-level-in-27-years-excluding-pandemic.html. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.