Canada emissions by sector

From 1990 to 2008, Canada’s GHG emissions increased by 24%. (1)

Most of this increase (85%) came from the oil and gas industries, transportation, and electricity generation. (2)

In those sectors, the biggest contributors in those areas were from

increasing emissions from the tar sands

a shift to and increased use of SUVs and vans

using more trucks to move more stuff around

generating more electricity and using more coal to do it

Economic Sector	1990	2008	Change (Mt)	Change (%)	Proportion of total change (%)
Oil and gas industries	103	160	57	55%	40%
Transportation	121	162	40	33%	28%
Electric utilities	97	121	24	24%	17%
Service industries	40	59	19	47%	13%
Agriculture	56	71	15	27%	11%
Residential	52	52	0	1%	0%
Heavy Industry & Mfg	123	110	-13	-10%	-9%
Total	592	734	142.6	24%	100%

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Oil and gas industry

We used 25% more energy in 2008 than we did in 1990. During this period, our energy production grew even more.

The sharp growth in energy exports over the period has had a significant impact on the emission trend.

Canada has been exporting more oil from the tar sands to the United States. Total emissions associated with the production, processing and transmission of all oil and gas destined for export were up 190% from 1990.

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Oil sands increasing

The major contributor has been expansion of the tar sands (AKA oil sands or Bitumen and synthetic crude oil).

Between 1990 and 2008, oil exports grew by 174%. This is almost three times the rate of growth of oil production.

Although exports of conventional crude oil in energy terms increased by 121% from 1990 to 2000, these exports decreased by 12% from 2000 to 2008.

However, exports from Canada’s oil sands have been consistently increasing. From 1990 to 2008, exports have increased by 392%.

Interestingly, Canadian fossil fuel imports have also increased. Indeed, 58% more energy from crude oil was imported in 2008 than in 1990.

The balance between changes in exports, imports, and production reflects an increase of 20% in domestic consumption of crude oil and natural gas between 1990 and 2008.

Natural gas declining

Natural gas production is declining in Canada.

Between 1990 and 2008, exports of natural gas increased 156%. This is approximately two and a half times the rate of growth of natural gas production.

But natural gas exports have not experienced much change since 2000 and future increases in natural gas exports are unlikely given projected production declines from diminishing reserves in Canada’s largest natural gas reservoir.

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Transportation

Passenger transportation

Canadians are using their cars more - 30% more from 1990 to 2008 on a passenger-kilometer-travelled-per-capita basis. Approximately 85% of all ground-based passenger transport in Canada in 2008 was via personal passenger vehicles.

Since 1990, there has been a significant shift in the vehicle types used for passenger transport: travel by light trucks has risen by 141%, whereas travel by cars has risen by only 11%. In 1990, 24% of light duty vehicles were trucks, vans, or SUVs but, by 2008, this percentage had increased to 41%. The increased weight of these vehicles as well as their increased horsepower has severely increased fuel consumption.

Canada’s population grew by 20.3% between 1990 and 2008 and the “driving population” (i.e., the population 16 years of age or older) increased by 21%. Meanwhile, the vehicle population has increased by 42% - to over 21 million vehicles in 2008 from around 15 million in 1990.

Passengers	GHG emissions (Mt CO2eq)
Passengers	1990	2008	Change (%)
Car	46.2	41.1	-11%
Light truck	21.4	47.2	120%
Motorcycles	0.15	0.26	80%
Rail	0.23	0.21	-11%
Total passenger	77	100	29%

Freight transportation

From 1990 to 2008, there has been a 64% rise in freight transport (as measured in tonne kilometers travelled or TKT) and a rising freight intensity of the economy. In other words, more freight transport per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). This comes about from rising trade within and between provinces and increasing international trade.

Since 1990, there has been a significant rise in the use of heavy-duty trucks for freight transport relative to rail, marine, and air. Moving freight by truck is one of the most emission-intensive ways of moving goods. (2)

Freight	GHG emissions (Mt CO2eq)
Freight	1990	2008	Change (%)
Heavy duty trucks	26.6	43.6	64%
Rail	6.73	6.90	3%
Marine	5.04	5.83	16%
Domestic aviation	1.14	1.06	-7%
Total	40	57	45%

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Electric utilities

GHG emissions from electricity generation grew by 23 Mt (24%) between 1990 and 2008. The GHG emissions increased in the mid-1990s and then decreased between 2002 and 2006.

The decrease after 2002 was due to the return to service of a number of nuclear plants and a commitment to reduced coal-fired electricity generation in Ontario. There was also fuel switching to natural gas in a number of regions of the country.

The following chart (2) shows how the mix of electrical generation changed across the country during this period.

Click image to enlarge

Demand –The increase in demand came from both the industrial and residential / commercial sectors. Continued increases in demand since 2004, especially in Alberta, have driven the trend towards greater emissions

Coal - Coal was a big contributor to the increased emissions (although increased production with natural gas also had an impact). Coal produces one of the highest amounts of GHG per unit of electricity generated of all fuel sources. (3)

Fuel switching – Between 1990 and 2008 the amount of electricity generated by natural-gas-fired units increased by almost 600%. Compared to coal, natural gas generates about 60% of the GHG per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity produced. (3) Also, the amount of electricity generated by refined petroleum products decreased by over 60% during the same period.

Renewables - Non-hydro renewable energy sources amounted to about 1% of generation in 2008. The impact of renewables is predicted to become more significant in future years because installed capacity of wind power in Canada has been rising rapidly.

The amount of electricity generated in 2008 was 33% higher than in 1990. Because of fuel switching and improvements in efficiency of electrical generation emissions didn’t grow as much as the demand did.

Exports and imports

Electricity exports grew by 215% between 1990 and 2008. Imports have also increased, although at a much lower rate (43%). Much of our exports were from provinces with large hydro-electric generation capability.

In 2008, the provinces exporting the greatest amounts of electricity were

Quebec (18,700 GWh)

Manitoba (9,900 GWh)

British Columbia (7,900 GWh)

Ontario (4,100 GWh)

Canada is largely a net electricity exporter. Fluctuations over time have as much to do with economics and international demand as with hydraulic conditions.

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