State of Environment Reporting

Linking Economy and the Environment

Conventional Energy Consumption and Intensity (Indexed 1981 =1)

SOURCES: Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, 2001; Statistics Canada (CANSIM - Canadian Socio-economic Information Database), 2001; and BC Stats (BC Economic Accounts), 2001.

The amount of conventional energy used per unit of Gross Domestic Product in British Columbia declined by 18% from 1981 to 1999. Conventional energy sources include fossil fuels and large-scale hydroelectricity schemes. The decrease in the intensity of conventional energy use was due to a combination of factors, including a shift in the structure of the economy towards less energy-intensive sectors, increased energy efficiency of existing activities and a larger amount of energy consumption from alternative sources.