How Is Canada Doing?

Canada’s climate action matters on a global scale because…

• Although our total emissions may seem low, our per person emissions are among the worst in the world. While countries like China have more total emissions, Canada's per person emissions are twice as high as China's.

• If every country with less than two per cent of global emissions did nothing, the biggest chunk of emissions would remain unaddressed. Only six countries have emissions that account for more than 2% of the global total. Every country that emits less than 2% makes up 36% of emissions collectively.

• Wealthy countries such as Canada that have emitted the most historically have the best means to reduce emissions and therefore the moral responsibility to do so. Climate change is driven by the cumulative, not annual, amount of greenhouse gas emissions. So, the historical context of which countries have emitted the most over time matters. Canada is ranked 10th in the world for total cumulative emissions.

• The fossil fuels we export don’t count toward our national emissions. Canada exports most of its crude oil and just under half of its natural gas. The burning of these fossil fuels is 1.3x more than the total greenhouse gases emitted at home. When you take this into account, it becomes clear that Canada's energy sector, energy policies, and climate ambition are significant on the global stage.

• Canada is sitting on the 3rd largest oil and gas reserves in the world, representing 10% of all global deposits. Leaving our massive, environmentally destructive, oil and gas deposits in the ground would go a long way to preventing further climate chaos.

According to a recent survey:
• 75% of Canadians are concerned about climate change and believe that future generations will be harmed.
• 75% of Canadians are optimistic that it is possible to reverse its consequences.
• Almost 70% of Canadians agree that if everyone does their bit, we can tackle it's causes.
• 65% of Canadians want leaders to keep their promise to take more action on climate change.
• 70% of Canadians agree that the government should regulate polluters causing climate change.
• 70% of Canadians feel pride in Canada becoming a renewable energy superpower.

Ownership of Canada's largest oil sands companies is highly concentrated and over 70% of the major shareholders are foreign entities. Foreign (mostly U.S. and China) and concentrated ownership has grown substantially over the last decade.

Natural gas, a.k.a. fossil gas, is not clean energy. It contains methane—a very potent greenhouse gas that escapes when natural gas is pulled from the ground, processed, and piped to homes and businesses. Methane leaks make fossil gas nearly as bad as coal in terms of its contribution to climate change. And natural gas releases carbon dioxide when it is burned, a less potent but far more persistent greenhouse gas.  Methane and carbon dioxide are the two largest contributors to the extreme temperatures and severe weather events caused by climate change.