Canada: environment

Are Canada's greenhouse gas emissions falling?

Canada's greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.9% (7,002 kilotonnes) in 2023 while real GDP grew 2.0%, according to Statistics Canada's environmental-economic accounts, released on 11 December 2025. Statistics Canada said it was the first time since 2019 that emissions fell while GDP rose.

These estimates follow the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting and differ from Canada's official National Inventory Report, produced by Environment and Climate Change Canada and submitted to the UN climate convention, so the two should not be compared directly. Households accounted for 15.4% of total emissions in 2023.

Official sources: Statistics Canada: Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, 2023

Which sector emits the most in Canada?

Oil and gas extraction was Canada's highest-emitting industry in 2023, accounting for 29.4% of total industrial greenhouse gas emissions, according to Statistics Canada. Alberta accounted for 79.7% of that industry's emissions. From 2014 to 2023 the industry's output grew 28.4% while its emissions fell 9.6%.

Emissions from electric power generation fell 43.4% nationally from 2009 to 2023, largely because of the move away from coal, with the largest reductions in Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia. These figures come from the environmental-economic accounts, which allocate emissions to the industries and households that produce them.

Official sources: Statistics Canada: Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, 2023

How is electricity generated in Canada?

Canada generated 54.2 million megawatt-hours of electricity in July 2026, up 8.4% from a year earlier, of which hydroelectricity provided 29.7 million MWh (+11.8%), according to Statistics Canada's energy statistics, released on 29 September 2026. Hydro growth was driven by Manitoba and British Columbia as drought conditions eased.

Exports of electricity to the United States, Canada's only electricity trading partner, rose 80.6% to 6.0 million MWh, the highest since August 2022, while imports fell 45.3%. Hydro provided more than half of July's generation; the full mix by fuel and by province is in Statistics Canada's monthly electricity tables. Monthly totals vary with water levels and weather.

Official sources: Statistics Canada: Energy statistics, July 2026

How much does extreme weather cost Canada?

Catastrophic insurance claims in Canada reached $8.6 billion in 2024, the costliest year on record, surpassing $6.2 billion in 2016, according to a Statistics Canada study released on 16 June 2026. In the third quarter of 2024, four events within 30 days caused large losses: the Calgary hailstorm ($3.0 billion), Quebec flooding ($2.7 billion), the Jasper wildfire ($1.1 billion) and Ontario flooding ($990 million).

These figures cover insured losses only, so they leave out uninsured damage and public costs such as emergency response. Statistics Canada links rising claims to higher home insurance premiums, which rose 45.0% from December 2019 to December 2025.

Official sources: Statistics Canada: Extreme weather impacts on consumers and insurers in Canada

How much waste does Canada produce?

27.5 million tonnes of non-hazardous waste were sent to disposal facilities in Canada in 2024, up about 1.5% from 2022, according to Statistics Canada's Waste Management Survey, released on 17 June 2026. Households produced 11.1 million tonnes (40.3%) and businesses and other non-residential sources 16.4 million tonnes (59.7%).

Disposal means waste sent to landfills, incinerators and waste-to-energy plants. It excludes material that is recycled or composted, which is reported separately as waste diversion, and excludes hazardous waste and construction materials such as concrete and asphalt.

Official sources: Statistics Canada: Waste Management Survey, waste disposal, 2024

How much CO2 does Canada emit per person?

14.0 tonnes: that is carbon dioxide emissions per person in Canada for 2024, according to the European Commission's EDGAR database. That is the lowest since at least 2005. Of 186 countries with 2024 data, 11th highest.

What are Canada's emissions?

The European Commission's EDGAR database puts total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada at 768 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2024. Since 2005 it has ranged from 720 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (2009) to 809 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (2018). World rank, highest first: 10th of 186.

How much of Canada's energy is renewable?

The latest figure from the IEA, IRENA, the UN Statistics Division, the World Bank and the WHO, for 2021, is 23.8%. Its high point since 2005 was 2020, at 23.9%; its low point was 2010, at 21.4%. World rank, highest first: 96th of 191.

What share of Canada is covered by forest?

In 2024, forest area as a share of land in Canada was 42.0%, according to the FAO. Since 2005 it has ranged from 40.5% (2005) to 42.0% (2021). World rank, highest first: 65th of 190.

How polluted is the air in Canada?

The Global Burden of Disease study puts average exposure to fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) in Canada at 6.6 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. The peak was 8.6 micrograms per cubic metre in 2005 and the low 6.0 micrograms per cubic metre in 2020. Of 192 countries with 2023 data, 176th highest.

How much of Canada is in national parks and reserves?

According to the UN Environment Programme, the share of land in protected areas in Canada was 12.9% in 2025. That is the highest since at least 2013. Of 192 countries with 2025 data, 132nd highest.

Is Canada short of water?

According to the FAO, water stress in Canada was 3.7% in 2022. Since 2005 it has ranged from 3.7% (2011) to 4.3% (2005). Of 175 countries with 2022 data, 131st highest.