Environmental Trends 2002

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions in British Columbia (megatonnes of CO2 EQ)

Per Capita Greenhouse Gas Emissions in British Columbia (tonnes of CO2 EQ)

SOURCE: Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, 2001.

Status and trends in greenhouse gas emissions

• Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are called greenhouse gases. As they build up in the atmosphere, they act like the transparent roof of a greenhouse, which allows in sunlight while trapping the heat.

• In British Columbia, per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 6.3% between 1990 and 1999. During this time, the population increased by 29%, from 3.1 million to just over 4 million.

• In 1999, total GHG emissions were 63.5 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, an increase of 10.8 megatonnes or 20% since 1990.

• Population growth accounts for part of the increase in total GHG emissions; however, the increase in emissions from the transportation sector exceed the population growth rate.

• Transportation is the single largest source in the province, accounting for 42% of the total emissions.

• GHG emissions are strongly influenced by energy prices and economic activity. A decrease in GHG emissions in the early 1980s (not shown above) was largely attributed to increasing energy costs and the economic recession.

Why is it important?

• Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, are adding significant quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the earth’s atmosphere. There is widespread agreement among scientists that elevated levels of greenhouse gases are causing changes to the global climate.

What is being done?

• The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, once in force, commits ratifying countries to reducing their GHG emissions. Canada's Kyoto target is to cut emissions to 6% below 1990 levels by the period 2008 to 2012.

• The British Columbia government is preparing a provincial climate change strategy that will include initiatives that address issues such as the use of clean, renewable energy, efficiency of energy use associated with buildings, and GHG emissions in the industrial and transportation sectors.

• British Columbia is participating with other jurisdictions in the national process to develop a Canadian climate change strategy.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth report [pdf].