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Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions refer to the natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) release into the atmosphere of gases that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. The primary GHGs in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. The increase in concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere, primarily due to human activities such as the use of fossil fuels or agriculture, has caused one of the most important environmental issues of our time: climate change.

The Canadian Centre for Energy Information (CCEI) presents data from two sets of GHG emissions estimates available for Canada. This webpage highlights their numerous differences in order to help you make an informed decision on which dataset is most suitable for your purposes. Information from one dataset cannot be compared with information from the other data set due to differing mandates, source definitions and emission allocations. For example, both sets of estimates will provide information on transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. But if the transportation sector totals are compared, they will not be the same. The text below explains why.

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Greenhouse gas emissions — National Inventory Report (NIR)

Environment and Climate Change Canada is responsible for producing Canada's official National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (Opens in a new window) and associated report (National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada (Opens in a new window)). Canada's official greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory fulfills Canada's reporting obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Opens in a new window), and is the official benchmark for greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

The GHG inventory includes emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) in the following five sectors: Energy; Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU); Agriculture; Waste; and Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).

National Inventory Report (NIR)

Greenhouse gas emissions — Physical flow account (PFA)

Statistics Canada compiles the physical flow account (PFA) (Opens in a new window) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with the United Nations' System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) (Opens in a new window). The account records greenhouse gas emissions that originate from Canadian economic activity and flow to the environment. The account therefore provides an overview of the GHG emissions associated with Canada's economic output.

The PFA framework follows the classification system of industries and commodities used in Statistics Canada's supply and use tables (SUT) (Opens in a new window) and aligns environmental data with economic activity, including activities associated with households. The account focuses on emissions of the three main greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Physical flow account (PFA)
  National Inventory Report
  Physical flow account
Mandate
National Inventory Report

The National Inventory Report (NIR) is Canada's official greenhouse gas inventory and annual submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Physical flow account

The physical flow account (PFA) integrates greenhouse gas emissions estimates with economic activity across industries and households.
Department responsible
National Inventory Report

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) (Opens in a new window)
Physical flow account

Statistics Canada (Opens in a new window)
Geographic scope
National Inventory Report

Nationally and by province and territory
Physical flow account

Nationally and by province and territory
First year in time series
National Inventory Report

1990
Physical flow account

2009
Frequency of releases
National Inventory Report

Annual
Physical flow account

Annual
Reporting framework
National Inventory Report

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Opens in a new window) reporting requirements for annual inventories.
Physical flow account

United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) (Opens in a new window)

The PFA aligns with the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts.
Classification system(s)
National Inventory Report

Two breakdowns:

  1. By UNFCCC Common Reporting Format (CRF) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) categories.
  2. By economic sector.
    The NIR's economic sector classifications do not conform to a standardized system such as the North American Industry Classification (NAICS) or the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), although there are close similarities. Estimates for each economic sector include emissions from energy-related and non-energy-related processes.
Physical flow account

One breakdown:

  1. By StatCan's Input-Output Industry Classification (IOIC).
    The Input-Output Industry Classification is the classification used in the Supply and Use tables. It's a system used for classifying industries by codes similar to the North American Industry Classification System.
List of pollutants (GHGs)
National Inventory Report

7 (includes synthetic fluorinated gases)
Physical flow account

3 (excludes synthetic fluorinated gases)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

Yes
Methane (CH4)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

Yes
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

Yes
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

No
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

No
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

No
Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
National Inventory Report

Yes
Physical flow account

No
Detailed inclusions and exclusions
Inclusion principle
National Inventory Report

Includes estimates of seven human-caused GHG emissions and removals occurring within Canadian jurisdiction.
Physical flow account

Includes estimates of the three main human-caused GHG emissions and removals related to the operations of Canadian economic residents.
Pollutants
National Inventory Report

Includes GHG emissions and removals in the following five sectors:

  • energy
  • industrial processes and product use
  • agriculture
  • waste
  • land use, land-use change, and forestry
Physical flow account

Includes GHG emissions and removals from energy use and industrial processes, including fugitive emissions from agricultural and forestry activities.

Excludes emissions from waste, land use and land use change.
Removals
National Inventory Report

Includes removals of CO2 from the atmosphere through:

  1. its storage in woody vegetation on the landscape.
  2. its storage in soils of forest lands, croplands, grasslands, and wetlands.
  3. carbon capture, use, and storage technology.
Physical flow account

Includes removals of CO2 from the atmosphere through carbon capture, use, and storage technology only.
Biomass fuel consumption
National Inventory Report

Excludes CO2 emissions from the combustion of biomass fuels (such as residential firewood, wood pellets, ethanol, and biodiesel).Footnote 1
Physical flow account

Includes CO2 emissions from the combustion of biomass fuels (such as residential firewood, wood pellets, ethanol, and biodiesel).
Aviation fuels
National Inventory Report

Includes emissions from foreign airlines flying over Canadian territory.

Excludes emissions from Canadian airlines flying over foreign territory.
Physical flow account

Excludes emissions from foreign airlines flying over Canadian territory.

Includes emissions from Canadian airlines flying over foreign territory.
Marine fuels
National Inventory Report

Includes GHG emissions from ships that travel between two ports located in Canadian waters.

Excludes international voyages departing from or arriving in Canada.
Physical flow account

Includes GHG emissions from all Canadian ships for both domestic and international voyages.

Excludes foreign ships.
Solid and liquid waste
National Inventory Report

Includes GHG emissions from solid and liquid waste.
Physical flow account

Excludes GHG emissions from solid and liquid waste.
Synthetic fluorinated gases
National Inventory Report

Includes GHG emissions from synthetic fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3).
Physical flow account

Excludes GHG emissions from synthetic fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3).
Non-energy products from fuels and solvent use
National Inventory Report

Includes GHG emissions from non-energy products from fuels and solvent use.
Physical flow account

Includes GHG emissions from non-energy products from fuels only (excludes solvent use).
Notes
National Inventory Report
Footnote 1

CO2 emissions from biomass fuel consumption are not reported in the Energy sector when these fuels are burned, however, they are reported under the land-use, land-use change and forestry sector (LULUCF) as a net change in carbon pools taking in consideration the balancing of combustion emissions contributing to atmospheric CO2 against from the growth of woody vegetation and carbon stocks on the landscape.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Additional reading

Canada's official greenhouse gas inventoryOpens in a new window - Environment and Climate Change Canada

Greenhouse gas emissions projectionsOpens in a new window -Environment and Climate Change Canada

Canadian System of Environmental-Economic Accounts - Physical Flow Accounts (PFA)Opens in a new window - Statistics Canada

Complementary approaches to reporting Canada's greenhouse gas emissionsOpens in a new window - Statistics Canada

Methodological Guide: Canadian System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (Physical Flow Accounts > Residual Flow Accounts > Greenhouse gas emissions account)Opens in a new window - Statistics Canada

Canada's Supply and use tablesOpens in a new window - Statistics Canada

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Use this Power BI© tool to access and see the most updated data available. All values in the Map, Data table and Graphs will automatically update based on the user's selection.

To select a specific category or sub-category, select the desired toggle elements within the tool box on the left hand side (i.e., Industry or Reference period). Depending on the data views selected, multiple choices may be available for subject categories, geographies, reference periods, etc. To view the associated data, select the "Data table" tab located on the top right hand corner of the data visualisation.

To return back to the visualisation, select "Map" or "Chart" tab which is next to the Data table tab.

To access other available options, such as to export or sort, position your mouse over the top right hand corner of the data visualisation then select the three consecutive points [...] that will appear. From there you can then select the desired option that follows (Export data, Show as a table, Spotlight).

To access the various referenced data tables used to prepare the visualisation, select "Data sources" located directly below it then click on the applicable table.