What effect will Canada’s efforts to reduce GHGs have?

Canada’s contributions make a difference in the fight against global climate change

• Countries around the world are taking action to reduce their emissions.
• Every single tonne of greenhouse gases emissions has a cost — no matter where it’s produced.
  • GHG emissions contribute to extreme weather such as heat waves and heavy rainfall, which can damage our health, our property, and our economy.
  • As climate change intensifies, Canada will increasingly feel the effects.
  • Each additional tonne of emissions results in climate change costs of at least $45/tonne (and those costs might be as high as $135/tonne).
• As a result, every tonne of GHG emissions that any country reduces has an economic benefit in terms of avoided climate change.

Canada is a big enough GHG emitter for its contributions to matter

• Canada has the ninth largest GHG emissions of any country worldwide.
• Canada has 0.5% of the world’s population, but produces 1.6% of the world’s greenhouse gas emission. In per capita terms, we emit more than China and the U.S.
• If everyone in the world produced as many GHG emissions as the average Canadian, global emissions would more than triple.

Canada’s example to other countries matters

• If a developed country like Canada were to say that its emissions were too small or that action was too costly, smaller emitters could make the same claim.
• Leading by example does not put Canada at a competitive disadvantage.
• Demonstrating policy successes (e.g., British Columbia’s carbon tax) can encourage other countries to follow suit.

 

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