Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 13, Climate Action

Release date: January 25, 2024
Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 13, Climate Action
Description: Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 13, Climate Action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2021

In 2021, Canada emitted 670 Mt CO2 eqNote 1. Between 2005-2021, greenhouse gas emissions decreased 8.4%. Greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector are the following: transportation (22%), oil & gas (28%), waste & othersNote 2 (7%), buildings (13%), electricity (8%), heavy industry (12%), and agriculture (10%).

GHG emissions by province and territory in 2021.


Table 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1. The information is grouped by Province/Territory (appearing as row headers), GHG Emissions (Mt CO2 eq.) (appearing as column headers).
Province/Territory GHG Emissions (Mt CO2 eq.)
Newfoundland and Labrador 8.3
Prince Edward Island 1.6
Nova Scotia 14.6
New Brunswick 11.9
Quebec 77.5
Ontario 150.6
Manitoba 20.7
Saskatchewan 67.1
Alberta 256.1
British Columbia 59.4
Yukon 0.7
Northwest Territories 1.3
Nunavut 0.6

Climate Change Adaptation

In 2020, almost 60% of government organizations factored climate change adaptation into their decision-making process related to at least one core public infrastructure. This is up from 51% in 2018.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Per Capita

Between 2005-2021, greenhouse gas emissions per capita decreased 23% in Canada. In 2005, Canada emitted 22.7 t CO2 eq/capita and in 2021, Canada emitted 17.5 t CO2 eq/capita.

Community Spotlight: Farmers for Climate Solutions

Farmers for Climate Solutions is a national, farmer-led coalition that advances policies and programs to support Canadian farmers to reduce emissions and build resilience in the face of climate change.

Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM): gives farmers the tools they need to adopt Advanced Nitrogen Management, Cover Cropping, and Advanced Grazing Systems. FaRM has currently trained over 6,715 farmers across 5.5 million acres. These practices have an emissions reduction potential of 5 Mt CO2 by 2030.

Sources: Environment and Climate change Canada, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators, Greenhouse gas emissions indicators. Statistics Canada, Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey, 2020. Farmers for Climate Solutions, 2023.


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