Canada greenhouse gas emissions fell nearly 9% in 2020 pandemic year

TAG Oil

14/04/2022 22:04

April 14 (Reuters) - Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions
fell nearly 9% in 2020, the first year of the coronavirus
pandemic, as Canadians along with the rest of the world were
forced to change their lifestyles and restrict movement to curb
the spread of COVID-19.
    A report Canada submitted to the United Nations on Thursday
showed that greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 66 megatonnes
annually in 2020, Canadian Environment Minister Steven
Guilbeault said in a statement, describing the drop as being
equivalent to taking 20 million cars off the road. 
    That included a 27-megatonne drop in transportation
emissions, mainly due to people not driving and flying during
pandemic-related lockdowns.
    "This is the first report that tracks the impacts of the
pandemic on emissions in Canada," Guilbeault said. "So we must
be mindful that overall emissions are likely to rebound to a
degree as Canada's economy roars back to life."
    But, there were also "real signs of progress" in Canada's
National Inventory Report on GHG Emissions, Guilbeault added.
    Fighting climate change has been one Canada's top priorities
under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his
Liberal government has pledged to cut emissions 40-45% below
2005 levels by 2030.
    In March, the government laid out details of a comprehensive
emissions reduction plan and announced over C$9 billion ($7.1
billion) in new spending to meet its climate targets.
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    Climate think-tank Clean Energy Canada, welcoming news of
the reduction in emissions, said the 2020 report shows the
impact of COVID as well as climate policy.
    "Moving forward, the rapid implementation of the federal
government's emissions reduction plan will be paramount if we're
to make significant annual emissions declines a regular
occurrence—no global pandemic required," Clean Energy Canada
executive director Merran Smith said in a statement.
    Guilbeault said the report demonstrates how measures like
accelerating the switch to electric vehicles will help Canada
achieve its net-zero targets.
    The report showed a reduction in electricity generation,
largely due to the phasing out of coal-fired electricity - an
objective of the government's emissions reduction plan.
    Canada was also on track to meet its goal to reduce methane
from the oil and gas sector by 40% to 45% below the 2012 level
by 2025, according to Guilbeault.
    

($1 = 1.2615 Canadian dollars)

 (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru and Nia Williams in
Calgary; Editing by David Gregorio)
 ((ismail.shakil@tr.com; ; Tweet @ismail___s;))