Canada reports drop in GHG emissions

OTTAWA, CANADA - The federal government is reporting to the United Nations that CanadaÂ’s greenhouse gas emissions were down in 2008 because of slower economic activity and less reliance on coalfired power.

CanadaÂ’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 were about 734 megatonnes, which represents a decrease of 16 megatonnes or 2.1 per cent from the updated 2007 total of 750 megatonnes, the government will report to the UN.

This represents a decline of 6.2 megatonnes — or an 0.8 per cent decrease — over the last five years, the government says.

The annual report to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is a summary of emissions information at the national, provincial and industrial sector levels.

The government is attributing the decrease in emissions between 2007 and 2008 to the use of greater amounts of hydropower for electricity generation and the slowdown in economic growth at the end of 2008, the Toronto Star has learned.

Environment Minister Jim PrenticeÂ’s position is that while Canada has a long way to go to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the decline in 2008 underscores the governmentÂ’s commitment to address the issue of climate change.

The Harper governmentÂ’s latest target calls for a reduction in CanadaÂ’s greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020.

But this goal has been criticized by environmentalists because it is less ambitious than the target set in 2007, when the Harper government said it would reduce the countryÂ’s emissions by 20 per cent by 2020.