September 3, 2026

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By Brooke Cupelli

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• Canada is one of the world’s highest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases, over twice that of Europeans and three times the global average.

• Canada contributes only 1.4% of global emissions, but its individual impact is significant.

• The oil and gas sector is Canada’s largest single source, responsible for 28% of the country’s emissions.

• Addressing climate change in Canada requires coordinated efforts from individuals, industry, and government for meaningful impact

 

The release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the Earth’s atmosphere is one of, if not the most, imperative environmental issues of our time. The climate change crisis has a continuous impact on the health of humanity and our environment. The concentration of GHG emissions can be linked primarily to human activity. GHG emissions remain in the atmosphere for varying periods, from a few to thousands of years. As they linger for substantial amounts of time, many remaining well beyond a human’s lifespan, they must be substantially reduced for the future of humanity. Although pollutants may be emitted in one area of the world, the entire global climate is affected (Canada, 2025). This means pollution is nonexclusive; every single human emits GHGs in their lifetime. Every single person has a carbon footprint.

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What makes up a carbon footprint? 

 

As many know, an individual’s carbon footprint is the total amount of GHG emissions caused by that individual. These emissions can be both direct and indirect results of every individual’s actions. The GHGs considered in this calculation include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases. Heat-trapping differences are then accounted for by each gas, via their global warming potential (GWP), resulting in the calculated carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is most typically expressed in mass of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e). Having a comparative and measurable standard enables straightforward data across activities, industries, events, and more (Canada, S., 2024 & What is a carbon footprint? (n.d.). The higher an individual’s carbon footprint, the heavier the strain on the environment. 

 

Having these standards creates a global scale that, in theory, all individuals and countries can be measured on. There will always be a potential for imperfection, but the standardization allows for the ability to compare individuals, industry, products, and countries that would otherwise be incomparable. The collection of these comparative numbers allows for a greater understanding of countries with lower and higher environmental impacts, leading to the identification of actions and regulations that must be implemented for heavy polluters. In all matters of climate change, personal action must be matched by industry action and government policy. The only way forward is through a holistic approach. Even when it feels that personal impact is low, individual action does impact the whole. 

 

So, what is the average Canadian’s carbon footprint? 

 

In the World Resources Institute (2025), Climate Watch Country Historical Greenhouse Gas Emissions report, from 2022, Canada was ranked the eleventh largest emitter in the world. Canada’s global GHG emissions reached 695 Mt CO₂e in 2022. This amount equaled only 1.4 percent of total global GHG emissions (Canada, 2025). For comparison, the largest emitter was China, corresponding to 27.4% of global GHG emissions (Canada, 2025). Although Canada’s total GHG emissions are lower in percentage, when compared to other global polluters, Canada’s per capita rate is excessively large. The World Resources Institute report measures both the total global GHG emissions as well as the per capita global GHG emissions. Total GHG emissions are the amount of emissions by an entire country or region, while the per capita amount of emissions refers to the average individual person’s emissions in a particular country or region (Canada, 2025). Canada has the second-highest global GHG emission rate per capita. 

 

This means that the average Canadian carbon footprint, if emissions were shared equally by each person in Canada, would be 17.9 t CO₂e (Canada, 2025). This number is more than twice that of the European population (at 6.4 t CO₂e), and three times the global average of 4.8 t CO₂e (per capita) (Canada, 2025). Canada’s overall GHG emissions have decreased from the previous report, made in 2005, buthere is still an incredible need for Canada and other economically developed countries to continue to reduce their emissions at substantial rates. The percentage of global emissions for Canada is “anticipated to continue to decline due to the expected rapid increase in emissions from economically developing and emerging countries, particularly India (+86.6% from 2005 to 2022), China (+83.1%), Indonesia (+52.6%), and Brazil (+25.8%)” (Canada, 2025).

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(Canada, 2025)

 

Assessing industrial GHG emissions from the oil sector  

 

The reduction of GHG emissions in Canada is largely attributed to reductions from the electricity and heavy industry sectors. As of 2022, 82% of Canada’s electricity is “from non-GHG emitting sources such as solar, hydro, wind and nuclear power (Gouvernement du Canada, 2025). There have been measurable reductions in transport and waste as well, “but the buildings, agriculture, and oil and gas sector emissions increased during this period” (Natural Resources Canada, 2025).  The oil and gas sector is the largest single source of GHG emissions for Canada, responsible for 28 percent of total emissions (Natural Resources Canada, 2025).  “With production increasing considerably over the past few decades, primarily in the emissions-intensive oil sands, emissions have followed, rising from 168 MT carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2005 to 201 MT C02e in 2019, the latest year in which we have data that is not skewed by the COVID-19 pandemic” (Natural Resources Canada, 2025). 

 

It is important when assessing Canadian’s carbon footprint(s) to determine what the per capita carbon footprint would be without the oil sector’s massive contribution. With the oil sector’s percentage removed from the per capita equation, the average Canadian’s carbon footprint would decrease by 5.012 t CO₂e (17.9 t CO₂e/ person (1-0.28), which is approximately 12.89 tonnes/ person). This would make each Canadian’s per capita carbon footprint 12.89 tonnes/ person. Although this number is substantial and must be taken into consideration, the hypothetical removal of this percentage does not decrease the average enough to remove Canada from the top ten per capita emitters. 

 

Many companies in the sector are beginning to enact changes, in combination with government policy, to reduce GHG emissions directly linked to oil. Many companies are committed to net-zero emissions targets by 2050, accompanied by ambitious interim targets (Natural Resources Canada, 2025).  For example, “the Pathways Alliance has outlined a decade-by-decade path to net-zero that includes cutting emissions by 22 MT CO2e by 2030” (Natural Resources Canada, 2025).  Similar to other sectors, the Canadian Government has a substantial role to play in ensuring that objectives are met with significant innovations and proper planning. This once again stresses the need for a holistic approach to the reduction of GHG emissions. Just as government entities and large corporations must amend and adjust their behaviours, the individual efforts of Canadians are also vital in lowering their carbon footprints. 

 

How can we address and reduce our carbon footprints?

 

Canadians face many unique obstacles regarding their GHG emissions. These obstacles for Canadians are complex, as many emissions are regarded as a necessity. Reducing an individual’s carbon footprint can be difficult in Canada’s cold climate, expansive landscape, and dense urban areas. The largest contributors to the Canadian carbon footprint are personal/ home energy systems and usage, as well as transportation, with food/ diet, and consumption habits making up the difference (Canada, 2024 & Four ways to cut your carbon emissions, 2025).

 

Home heating and cooling adjustments can make a substantial difference in lowering emissions. Converting an oil heat pump to an energy-efficient heat pump is one of the best ways to reduce GHG emissions from the home, plus it creates lower operational costs and access to government subsidy programs (Canada, 2024). Home electricity emissions depend on the grid in every province (with some still burning coal, while others have transitioned to hydroelectricity) (Four ways to cut your carbon emissions, 2025). All Canadian homeowners can do environmental-focused home audits, making sure windows and doors are properly sealed, and installing technology like smart thermostats that adjust when the external environment shifts (Canada, 2024 & Four ways to cut your carbon emissions, 2025). Home audits are a great tool to identify gaps and opportunities for greater efficiency.

 

Transportation plays a substantial role in Canadian GHG emissions, at roughly 24 percent (Four ways to cut your carbon emissions, 2025 & Center for Sustainable Systems, 2024). Over 80 percent of Canadians live in urban areas, creating an expansive commuter culture, with over 80 percent of commuters using a personal vehicle (Canada - urban population, 2025 & Canadian Press, 2025). The clearest route to a reduction in this category is the switch to electric vehicles (EV). Incentive programs, via the government, have bridged the gap for roughly 300,000 Canadians to purchase EVs (Center for Sustainable Systems, 2024). Although incentive programs and rebates support a portion of the population, wealth disparity substantially affects changes in transport habits, versus home energy adjustments (Cozzi et al., 2023). The cost of making larger changes to our personal infrastructure is an active barrier globally, with Canadians not exempt from this reality. Further, there is substantial focus on large industry polluters, as well as government intervention, all of which are important. 

 

This does not mean that small, manageable changes cannot create positive momentum forward. Small changes, such as hanging clothes to dry rather than using the dryer, eating less meat, buying second-hand, and participating in recycling programs, can all reduce our carbon footprints. Every single person has a carbon footprint. Every single person can reduce their carbon footprint, one step at a time. 

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References

 

Arif, E., Sharan, A. A., & Mabee, W. (2025). An Analysis of the Compatibility Between Popular Carbon Footprint Calculators and the Canadian National Inventory Report. Sustainability, 17(14), 6629. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146629

Bernstien, J. (2021, October 11). Canadians are among the world’s worst carbon emitters. here’s what we can do about it | CBC news. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/how-canadians-can-cut-carbon-footprints-1.6202194#:~:text=Diet%20is%20another%20factor%20and,kg%20of%20CO%E2%82%82e%20per%20year.

Canada. (2025, July 31). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html

Canada. (2024, May 10). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/campaign/climate-crisis/take-action.html

Canada, S. (2024, June 13). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-action/pricing-carbon-pollution/how-pricing-reduces-emissions.html 

Canada - urban population (% of total)2025 data 2026 forecast 1960-2024 historical. Canada - Urban Population (% Of Total) - 2025 Data 2026 Forecast 1960-2024 Historical. (n.d.). https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/urban-population-percent-of-total-wb-data.html 

Canadian Press. (2025, August 26). Remote work declines for fourth year in a row as more Canadians commute on-site. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-remote-work-declines-for-fourth-year-in-a-row-as-more-canadians/#:~:text=Vehicle%20use%20remained%20dominant%20but,per%20cent%20a%20year%20earlier. 

Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2024. "Carbon Footprint Factsheet." Pub. No. CSS09-05.

Cozzi, L., Chen, O., & Kim, H. (2023, February 22). The world’s top 1% of emitters produce over 1000 times more CO2 than the bottom 1% – analysis - IEA. International Energy Agency . https://www.iea.org/commentaries/the-world-s-top-1-of-emitters-produce-over-1000-times-more-co2-than-the-bottom-1 

Co2&U: Your carbon footprint, and how to shrink it. CO2&U: Your carbon footprint, and how to shrink it. (2022). https://www.bchydro.com/news/conservation/2022/carbon-emissions-profile.html 

Four ways to cut your carbon emissions. David Suzuki Foundation. (2025, June 23). https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/four-ways-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions/#:~:text=Canadians%20can%20reduce%20emissions%20and%20manage%20heat,*%20Shop%20at%20thrift%20and%20consignment%20stores 

Gouvernement du Canada. (2025, May 30). Government of Canada. Canadian Centre for Energy Information. https://energy-information.canada.ca/en/energy-facts/clean-power-low-carbon-fuels

Natural Resources Canada. (2025, July 2). Government of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/climate-change/roadmap-decarbonization-canada-s-oil-gas-sector

What is a carbon footprint? (n.d.). https://www.conservation.org/stories/what-is-a-carbon-footprint#:~:text=People%2C%20products%20and%20entire%20industries,the%20strain%20on%20the%20environment.