Greenhouse gas emissions : Canadian Centre for Energy Information

Greenhouse gas emissions — National Inventory Report (NIR)

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

National Inventory Report (NIR)

Greenhouse gas emissions — Physical flow account (PFA)

Statistics Canada compiles the physical flow account (PFA) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with the United Nations' System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). 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) 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)	Physical flow account Statistics Canada
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) reporting requirements for annual inventories.	Physical flow account United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) The PFA aligns with the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts.
Classification system(s)	National Inventory Report Two breakdowns: By UNFCCC Common Reporting Format (CRF) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) categories. 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: 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	Physical flow account
Methane (CH₄)	National Inventory Report	Physical flow account
Nitrous oxide (N₂O)	National Inventory Report	Physical flow account
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)	National Inventory Report	Physical flow account
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)	National Inventory Report	Physical flow account
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆)	National Inventory Report	Physical flow account
Nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃)	National Inventory Report	Physical flow account
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: its storage in woody vegetation on the landscape. its storage in soils of forest lands, croplands, grasslands, and wetlands. 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