Greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Canadian households, 2021

Release date: April 22, 2025
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Infographic: Greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Canadian households, 2021
Description: Greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Canadian households, 2021

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to Canadian households include direct emissions (from households’ direct use of fuel) and indirect emissions (from the production activities of Canadian businesses to produce the goods and services consumed by households).Note 1

In 2021, household consumption of goods and services was responsible for nearly two-fifths (281,638 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents) of Canada’s total GHG emissions (732,163 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents).

Distribution of GHG emissions, by final demand categoryNote 2
  Distribution of GHG emissions
percent
Exports 45.7
Households 38.5
Fixed capital formation 10.0
Government 5.1
Non-profit institutions serving households 0.6

Motor fuels and lubricants accounted for nearly one-third of direct and indirect GHG emissions by households.Note 3

GHG emissions, selected goods and services, in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents Table summary
This table displays the results of GHG emissions, selected goods and services, in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents GHG emissions, calculated using kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents units of measure (appearing as column headers).
  GHG emissions
kilotonnes of CO2 equivalents
Motor fuels and lubricants 85,141
Natural gas, heating and other stationary sources 51,425
Food and non-alcoholic beverages 40,020
Electricity 23,199
Restaurants and accommodation services 12,853
Air transportation 3,621
Other 65,378

Every dollar spent on natural gas, heating and other stationary sources resulted in 6.77 kilograms of CO2 equivalents.

IntensityNote 4 of GHG emissions, selected goods and services, in kilograms of CO2 equivalents
  Intensity of GHG emissions
kilograms of CO2 equivalents
Natural gas, heating and other stationary sources 6.77
Motor fuels and lubricants 1.91
Electricity 1.11
Air transportation 0.83
Food and non-alcoholic beverages 0.31
Restaurants and accommodation services 0.17

Note: For information on the methodological differences between Statistics Canada’s Physical Flow Account for GHG emissions and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s official national GHG inventory (the official benchmark for GHG emissions in Canada), please refer to the Canadian Centre for Energy Information’s greenhouse gas emissions web page (https://energy-information.canada.ca/en/subjects/greenhouse-gas-emissions).

Sources: Statistics Canada, Physical Flow Accounts (special tabulation), table 38-10-0010-01 – Physical flows by final demand category, and table 38-10-0097-01 – Physical flow account for greenhouse gas emissions (accessed February 6, 2025).

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2025

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Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

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