Canada and the Kyoto Protocol
Encyclopedia
Canada
was active in negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol
of 1997. However, the Liberal
government that later signed the accord took little action towards meeting Canada's greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission targets. In the decade after Kyoto, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by around 30%. The current Conservative
government opposed the imposition of binding targets at the 2007 Bali Conference
unless such targets were also imposed on such countries as China
and India
, which are exempt from GHG reduction requirements under the terms of the Kyoto Protocol.
Canada's total GHG emissions for 2006 were ~721 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, about 29% above Canada's Kyoto targets.
The United States
, Canada
, and Japan
and others also observed that, at the time of the original Kyoto discussions, science
had little understanding of the impact on global warming
of tropical deforestation
. Deforestation amounts to destruction of some of the vital reservoirs often called "carbon sinks". Factor in the loss of sinks from rainforest
destruction and Brazil
and Indonesia
become the world’s third- and fourth-largest GHG emitters.
Canada is the third-largest per capita greenhouse gas polluter after Australia
and the United States. The main cause of these high GHG emissions is Canada’s hydrocarbon
consumption—at 8,300 kilograms of crude oil equivalent per person per year, the highest in the world.
Canada is a large country, so transportation—often in cold weather, when fuel efficiency drops—is a big part of the economy. About 25 percent of Canada's GHGs come from trucks, trains, airplanes, and especially cars. Commerce, residential fuel consumption and industry (excluding oil and gas) account for 24 percent of the total, but much of those emissions come from equipment (mining trucks, front-end loaders) that do not get recorded in the transportation ledger. Another 14 percent come from non-energy sources. The rest come from the production and manufacture of energy and power. The following table summarizes forecast changes to annual emissions by sector in megatonnes.
As Canada creates targets for GHG reductions, policymakers will likely zero in on the three areas—transportation, electricity generation
and fossil fuel
production—in which the greatest reductions are possible. Together, these activities account for nearly two-thirds of Canada's greenhouse gases. Efficiencies can be found there.
According to Canada's Energy Outlook, the Natural Resources Canada
(NRCan) report, NRCan estimates that Canada’s GHG emissions will increase by 139 million tonnes between 2004 and 2020, with more than a third of the total coming from petroleum
production and refining. Upstream emissions will decline slightly, primarily from gas field depletion and from increasing production of coalbed methane
, which requires less processing than conventional natural gas
. Meanwhile, emissions from unconventional resources and refining will soar.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was active in negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
of 1997. However, the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
government that later signed the accord took little action towards meeting Canada's greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
(GHG) emission targets. In the decade after Kyoto, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by around 30%. The current Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
government opposed the imposition of binding targets at the 2007 Bali Conference
2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference took place at the Bali International Conference Centre, Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia, between December 3 and December 15, 2007 . Representatives from over 180 countries attended, together with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental...
unless such targets were also imposed on such countries as China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which are exempt from GHG reduction requirements under the terms of the Kyoto Protocol.
Canada's total GHG emissions for 2006 were ~721 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, about 29% above Canada's Kyoto targets.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and others also observed that, at the time of the original Kyoto discussions, science
Climatology
Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...
had little understanding of the impact on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
of tropical deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
. Deforestation amounts to destruction of some of the vital reservoirs often called "carbon sinks". Factor in the loss of sinks from rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
destruction and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
become the world’s third- and fourth-largest GHG emitters.
Canada is the third-largest per capita greenhouse gas polluter after Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the United States. The main cause of these high GHG emissions is Canada’s hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
consumption—at 8,300 kilograms of crude oil equivalent per person per year, the highest in the world.
Canada is a large country, so transportation—often in cold weather, when fuel efficiency drops—is a big part of the economy. About 25 percent of Canada's GHGs come from trucks, trains, airplanes, and especially cars. Commerce, residential fuel consumption and industry (excluding oil and gas) account for 24 percent of the total, but much of those emissions come from equipment (mining trucks, front-end loaders) that do not get recorded in the transportation ledger. Another 14 percent come from non-energy sources. The rest come from the production and manufacture of energy and power. The following table summarizes forecast changes to annual emissions by sector in megatonnes.
| Sector | 2004 total | 2004–2010 increase | 2010–2020 increase | 2020 total | |||
| Upstream oil and gas | 127 | 7 | −10 | 124 | |||
| Upgrading and refining heavier oil | 29 | 34 | 25 | 87 | |||
| Power generation | 130 | 1 | −4 | 126 | |||
| Industrial | 106 | 4 | 8 | 118 | |||
| Commercial and residential | 83 | 1 | 13 | 97 | |||
| Transportation | 193 | 16 | 25 | 235 | |||
| Non-energy (mostly agriculture) | 108 | 8 | 11 | 127 | |||
As Canada creates targets for GHG reductions, policymakers will likely zero in on the three areas—transportation, electricity generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
and fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
production—in which the greatest reductions are possible. Together, these activities account for nearly two-thirds of Canada's greenhouse gases. Efficiencies can be found there.
According to Canada's Energy Outlook, the Natural Resources Canada
Natural Resources Canada
The Department of Natural Resources , operating under the FIP applied title Natural Resources Canada , is the ministry of the government of Canada responsible for natural resources, energy, minerals and metals, forests, earth sciences, mapping and remote sensing...
(NRCan) report, NRCan estimates that Canada’s GHG emissions will increase by 139 million tonnes between 2004 and 2020, with more than a third of the total coming from petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
production and refining. Upstream emissions will decline slightly, primarily from gas field depletion and from increasing production of coalbed methane
Coalbed methane
Coalbed methane or Coal Bed Methane, coalbed gas or coal mine methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it has become an important source of energy in United States, Canada, and other countries...
, which requires less processing than conventional natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. Meanwhile, emissions from unconventional resources and refining will soar.