Emissions

In 2023, Canada emitted 694 megatonnes (Mt CO2 eq) of greenhouse gases (1). This is equivalent to the emissions from 198,830,241 passenger vehicles or the energy use for one year of 151,990, 632 homes (2).

There are quite a few different industries that are responsible for the production of these emissions:

These industries influence Canada’s economy, emissions, environmental and human health, and it is important to consider how they will impact you before casting your vote in the next election. Below, we will take you through an overview of where the emissions from each sector come from, and evidence-informed solutions to advocate for to help reduce them.

Transportation

Between commuting to and from work or school, running errands, travelling to different cities, or attending events, we spend a lot of time in transit. In May 2023, 13.2 million Canadians reported that they commute by car, truck, or van as a driver or a passenger (3). 1.6 million commuters reported travelling via public transit, a number that is increasing from its previous decrease as a main form of transportation during lockdowns and the implementation of social distancing protocols (3). Use of road vehicles like trucks, vans, and cars is the largest source of transportation-related emissions (1). In 2021, transportation emissions were below 2005 levels as a result of travel restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (1). With the ease of these restrictions and other lockdown protocols, transportation emissions were back above 2005 levels in 2023 (1). Investments in developing and expanding public infrastructure can help reduce emissions, and costs per household. Owning a car can be incredibly expensive, Canadians spent $12.3 billion on new trucks, vans, and SUVs, and $3.1 billion on vehicle maintenance and repair during the fourth quarter of 2023, as well as incurring costs for gas, insurance, and other car-related payments (4). Without accessible and reliable public transit options, many are left with no option but to incur the costs of driving in a car.

Agriculture

When thinking about agriculture, some of the first things that probably come to mind are cows and the smell of manure, but emissions rates resulting from crops have increased at a faster rate since 2005 compared to those resulting from livestock (1). While agriculture is not the largest overall source of greenhouse gases in Canada, it was responsible for 28% of methane emissions and 76% of nitrous oxide emissions in 2023 (1). This high nitrous oxide level is likely because of the increased use of fertilizers as a part of agricultural practices, up 92% since 2005 (1). Increased use of fertilizers not only impacts the air quality through emissions, but they also pose threats to water, as increased nitrogen presence in water as a result of run-off from farms can result in increased algae growth, and even algae blooms, which pose health risks to communities and the environment (5).

Waste

Waste is created, processed, and stored in a multitude of ways, all of which contribute to the production of emissions and pollutants. As of 2023, emissions as a result of “Waste and Others” have reduced 7.2% since 2005 (1). The majority of waste emissions come from landfills (1). Emissions from municipal solid waste, which is captured in landfills, have reduced by 3.6% since 2005, but about 57% of those emissions are released into the atmosphere, while the remaining emissions can be oxidized into energy or are assumed to be captured in landfill cover materials that help protect communities from other landfill impacts, including odours and liquid run-off (1). The federal government can fund waste reduction programs and infrastructure development and implement policies that regulate how waste is created, processed, and disposed of, in order to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions coming from this sector (6). 

Beyond landfills, it is important to consider where waste is coming from in the first place, as reducing waste at the source will help to reduce the emissions coming from the sector. 30% of waste produced by households is organic and food waste, which typically ends up being disposed of in landfills or through composting programs (7). 2.2% of total waste emissions are a result of biological waste treatment methods like composting (1). Not all communities have their own municipally run composting programs, resulting in this waste being disposed of in landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (8).

Sustainable Energy Transition

A sustainable energy transition directly impacts the economic well-being, health, and environment of Canadians. Research shows that as the country transitions to clean energy, average energy costs for Canadians will be 12% lower in 2050 than today (9). Solar and wind are the fastest-growing electricity sources in Canada (10). Estimates also show that the clean energy sector is expected to triple its workforce by 2050, creating over 250,000 jobs in construction, operation, and maintenance (9). In 2023, Canada’s energy sector was directly responsible for 285,600 jobs, and was indirectly responsible for 411,400 jobs (11). The United States was one of our biggest energy partners in 2023, accounting for 89% (177.3 billion) of Canada’s energy exports, the majority of which are oil and gas, and 78% ($45 billion) of our energy imports (11). Given the recent tensions in our economic relationship with the United States, there is a significant amount of money and jobs on the line. Putting money into the clean energy sector can help give the economy a necessary boost and create essential job opportunities to support Canadian workers as they bear the brunt of impacts from tariffs, trade disputes, and an impending recession (9).

Climate Finance and Innovation

The implementation of economic policies and regulations by governments, like investments, regulations, and taxes, can serve as important tools for keeping industries accountable to emissions reductions and other climate targets. Some strategies focus on government policies and public funding, while others encourage private investment and new technologies through financial incentives and regulations.

Reducing emissions requires a mix of policy decisions, strategic investments, and new technologies. One way to support this transition is through climate finance, which directs funding into projects that cut emissions and build sustainable infrastructure. In 2024, global investments in clean energy reached $2 trillion USD, doubling fossil fuel investments (16).  

In Canada, the $15 billion Canada Growth Fund was created to help businesses invest in low-carbon solutions like clean energy, carbon capture, and hydrogen power (17). The goal is to reduce financial risks for companies transitioning to greener technologies (18). It is vital that we are not cycling money to and from the same corporations over and over in an endless cycle, but into entities that create just working opportunities and implement climate solutions that transition us away from high-emitting and high-polluting industries. Government policies shape how and where public funds are allocated in the transition to a lower-emission economy. Your vote helps decide how Canada invests in and approaches emissions reduction.

Biodiversity, Conservation, and Preservation

It is important that promises and policies extend beyond economic solutions and emissions reduction, and that tangible action is taken to protect the diverse ecosystems and species across Canada. Canada accounts for the second-largest share of the world’s wilderness, including 24% of the world’s boreal forest, 25% of the world’s temperate forests, and 25% of the world’s wetlands (19). These ecosystems and the species within them perform important ecosystem services, including providing clean water, carbon storage and protecting communities from flooding (20). Implementing policy actions that keep us on track to meet or exceed our commitment to protect and conserve 30% of land and water by 2030 will ensure that these vital ecosystems and the species that inhabit them are preserved for generations to come (19). It is important that conservation solutions prioritize Indigenous rights, knowledge, and sovereignty, as colonial conservation practices, like the establishment of national parks, have forced Indigenous peoples from their land to create ‘pristine’ natural spaces that are isolated from human influence (21). Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) are established by Indigenous governments, and actions to protect the ecosystems within them, are determined by Indigenous laws and knowledge (21).

Environmental Health

The United Nations defines pollution as the “presence of substances and heat in [air, water, land] whose nature, location, or quantity produces undesirable effects” (22). Exposure to pollutants extends beyond the emission of greenhouse gases in the air, it also includes the release of pollutants into water, soil, and other aspects of the environment. Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory reported that 4.99 million tonnes of pollutants were released in Canada in 2023, of which 2.82 million tonnes were released directly into the environment (23). This is just the reporting from 7,579 facilities, there are likely further contaminants as a result of other facilities, industries, and commercial activities (23). The amount and impacts of pollution are not experienced equally. Historically and presently, marginalized communities have experienced disproportionate exposures to environmental health harms like pollution as a result of acts of environmental racism, like the intentional placement of high-polluting facilities like factories and landfills in their communities (24). Dr. Ingrid Waldron has studied and reported on experiences of environmental racism in Mi’kmaw and African communities in Nova Scotia, including Pictou Landing First Nation, who had the Northern Pulp mill treatment facility discharging billions of litres of pollutants into Boat Harbour, an estuary used by the community for fishing and hunting (24). This chronic mass pollution has caused Boat Harbour to have the third highest rates per capita of cancer in Canadian health districts, as well as high respiratory disease rates (24). Decades-long exposures to environmental health harms are present across the country, and it is vital that we not only collect more data on the cases of environmental racism across the country, but that any actions to address them are led by the impacted communities to ensure that we are not further perpetuating harms. 

Climate Justice 

While all communities have and will continue to experience the impacts of climate change and environmental exposures, systemic injustices and sociological factors have resulted in disproportionate exposures for historically and presently marginalized communities. Canada is home to 20% of the world’s freshwater, though only about 7% of this freshwater is considered renewable, as the rest is stored in lakes, underground, or in glaciers (25). Despite having so much, freshwater is not accessible to many communities, especially marginalized communities who have had their freshwater sources actively polluted by the disproportionate placement of industrial facilities, landfills, and other exposures. As of March 11, 2025 there are still 35 long-term drinking water advisories in place in 33 First Nations communities across Canada, with 4 new advisories being added so far in 2025 (26). It is vital that the knowledges, perspectives, and lived experiences of systemically oppressed communities are prioritized in environmental policy. By adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples governments are expected to obtain free, prior, and informed consent from Indigenous communities, but it should go beyond that (27). Indigenous communities should be leaders in the development and implementation of climate policies. By voting, you can help ensure that Indigenous and other communities facing environmental injustices are able to lead decision-making processes so that these injustices are not further perpetuated.

Health

The health of your environment has a direct impact on your own personal health as well. Health Canada found that above-background air pollution, which results from human-produced emissions and natural disasters, contributed to 17,400 premature deaths in 2018, as well as increased occurrence of daily asthma and other respiratory symptoms (28). The World Health Organization identified air pollution as one of the leading environmental factors contributing to the occurrence of noncommunicable diseases like strokes, asthma, and lung cancer (29). Increased destruction from wildfires is resulting in further burning and release of pollutants into the air. In 2023 fires burned 15 million hectares of land, well above the national average of 2.1 million hectares per year (30).

Misinformation

You are not alone in wondering if the information you’re coming across during a late night scroll on social media is true or not. In response to the Survey Series on People and their Communities, 43% of Canadians acknowledged that they are having increased difficulty identifying what information is true or not true, and only 17% of Canadians are always fact-checking the information they read online (31). Some of the reasons respondents identified for not fact-checking the information they see online included lack of interest/motivation, lack of time, and not knowing how to fact-check (31).

In 2023, 62% of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 were reported as most likely getting their news and information online or via social media (31). The Online News Act was passed in 2023, which legislated that Canadian news organizations be compensated by digital platforms Google and Meta, and provided them the negotiating tactics to secure this compensation (32). While Google negotiated a deal, Meta implemented a ban on Canadian news sources across its platforms, resulting in tremendous losses in audience size that Canadian news sources are struggling to make up on other platforms (32). Alongside the implementation of shadowbanning practices, not only is Canadian political news less accessible, but it is less reliable as reputable Canadian news sources are unable to share their stories with the public.

Affordability and Housing

In the face of increasing prices of goods and services, affordability is a top-of-mind issue for folks across Canada. In response to the Canadian Social Survey, 45% of Canadians indicated that their ability to afford day-to-day expenses was being greatly impacted by increasing prices (33). This percentage is even higher for young adults (55% of those between the ages 25 and 44), households with children (55%), individuals with disabilities (57%), and lower income (59% from the lowest income quintile) (33). Corporations in Canada are making hundreds of billions of dollars in profits each year, but these profits are clearly not supporting workers who are struggling with increased living costs (34). Rather than filtering these profits down into increased wages and other support for employees, CEOS are securing themselves massive amounts of money, making 210 times more than the average worker’s wage in 2023, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (35). By casting your ballot, you can support the implementation of policies that are working towards closing the wealth gap between workers and the ultra-rich CEOs.     

38% of Canadians reported that they are “very concerned with their ability to afford housing or rent” (33). A 2023 study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that between October 2022 and October 2023 there was a 24% average increase in rent by landlords in municipalities across Canada (36).

Next Steps: Make Your Vote Count

There are deeper intricacies to all of these issues that extend far beyond the information included here. We strongly encourage you to do more research on the issues you care about. Learn about what the major federal political parties are promising about these issues by checking out Shake Up The Establishment’s Non-Partisan Party Platform Comparison Chart!