Canada's greenhouse gas emissions remain steady while the economy grows

TORONTO, April 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, Canada's Environment Minister Peter Kent and Parliamentary Secretary Jacques Gourde announced that Canada's greenhouse gas emissions remained steady in 2010 while the economy grew.

"While our continued economic recovery remains our Government's top priority, today's news demonstrates that our work to balance the need for a cleaner and healthier environment while protecting jobs and growth is working," said Minister Kent. "Through a responsible, practical approach to the environment and the economy, we will continue forward on this path.

"We are seeing good progress in our sector-by-sector approach to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020," said Parliamentary Secretary Gourde." Emissions have declined in almost all sectors since 2005."

The Government of Canada simultaneously released the National Inventory Report, the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program facility-level data and related overview report, and the greenhouse gas indicators of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators program. These three reports were released together to facilitate greater consistency and to provide Canadians with a coherent picture of emission levels across the country.

In summary, today's reports indicate that:

• between 2009 and 2010, our emissions remained steady despite economic growth of 3.2 per cent;
• since 2005, annual greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 48 megatonnes;
• emissions have declined in almost all sectors, including oil and gas, and electricity generation, since 2005,
• per capita emissions remain at an historic low of 20.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide
• equivalent per person, their lowest level since tracking began in 1990; and,
• while emissions have grown 17.5 per cent since 1990, our economy has grown 60.5 per cent.

For more information on Canada's Greenhouse Gas Emissions page, please visit:
http://ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/default.asp?lang=En&n=1357A041-1.

Adam Sweet
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441

Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008

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(Également offert en français)