Performance Indicator 15: Greenhouse Gases

	Notes The data presented above for Canada do not match the UN data exactly. The difference is small however and is smaller than the average discrepancy between Environment Canada's "sum of provinces" and "Canada" data. Environment Canada data for Canada and BC have been used above.

Performance Indicator Fifteen tracks how many tonnes of greenhouse gases (GhG) were emitted per person, on average, in a year. Lower emissions yield better ranks.

In 2007, BC's per capita GhG emission levels were second lowest in Canada at 14.2 tonnes, a five percent decrease from 1990, when emissions were 14.9 tonnes per capita. In 2007, Quebec had the lowest per capita GhG emissions with 11.0 tonnes, Saskatchewan had the highest with 72.1 tonnes and the national average was 22.2 tonnes.

Only four provinces had declines in per capita GhG emissions between 1990 and 2007, the largest decline was in Ontario (9.0 percent). Saskatchewan's 67.4 percent increase between 1990 and 2007 was the largest, by far.

BC's Greenhouse Gas Reductions Target Act established 2020 and 2050 targets of 33 and 80 percent, respectively, below 2007 levels.

A review of international CO2 emissions is available in the Worldwide CO2 Emissions Topic Box.

International Comparison

Relative to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, BC ranked 22nd of 29 with per capita GHG emissions of 15.1 tonnes in 2006.

Over half of the jurisdictions reviewed had lower GhG emissions in 2006 than in 1990. The Slovak Republic experienced the biggest decline (34 percent) while Turkey's 51 percent increase was the largest. BC ranked 16th with a one-percent increase.

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