Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Person and per Unit Gross Domestic Product

There are at least two ways to analyze greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada: the amount of GHGs emitted per person (GHGs per capita), and the amount of GHGs per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) (GHG intensity). These indicators show the relationship between the size of Canada’s population and the amount of GHGs emitted, and how efficiently sectors in the economy are minimizing GHG emissions while producing goods and services for our consumption.

The level of emissions per unit of GDP was 28% lower in 2011 than 1990. Over that period, GHG intensity decreased from 0.60 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) per $billion GDP in 1990 to 0.43 Mt CO2 eq per $billion GDP in 2011.  The amount of GHGs emitted per person in Canada was 20.4 tonnes of CO2 eq in 2011, compared with 21.3 tonnes in 1990.

These improvements can be explained by a number of factors such as more efficient industrial processes, a shift to a more service-based economy and improvements in the emissions associated with energy generation (such as those realized through fuel switching).

Greenhouse gas emissions per person (GHGs per capita) and per unit of GDP (GHG intensity), Canada, 1990 to 2011

Greenhouse gas emissions per person (GHGs per capita) and per unit of GDP (GHG intensity), Canada, 1990 to 2011

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How this indicator was calculated

Note: The graph presents the ratio of annual GHG emissions per person and per unit of GDP relative to those values in 1990, i.e. the values are indexed to 1990. GHG intensity is calculated using the real inflation-adjusted GDP in 2007 dollars. Emission levels for some previous years have been revised in light of improvements to estimation methods and availability of new data.
Source: Environment Canada (2013) National Inventory Report 1990–2011: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada.

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