Published on
Prepared by Équiterre, David Suzuki Foundation and Environmental Defence
«Across the country, the need for quick action to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis is already widely felt. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent in Canada, and their cost is increasing at an even greater rate. In economic terms, the average cost per disaster increased from $8.3 million in the 1970s to $112 million between 2010 and 2019, representing a 1250% increase.
With a newly adopted climate target of 40% to 45% greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions by 2030 and the fact that Canada’s emissions are still on the rise, in large part due to the transport sector, bold and ambitious action is needed. In Canada, since 1990, transportation has experienced a 49% increase in GHG emissions, while the other sectors have succeeded in reducing their emissions, with the exception of oil and gas. This rise is mainly attributable to light-duty vehicles and freight transport; the two sub-sectors whose emissions have increased the most. In 2019, transportation accounted for 25% of GHG emissions nationally, making it a priority sector, especially as Canada stands as the second largest emitter of CO2 per capita among G20 countries.»
