Two ways (click here) to analyze how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relate to socio-economic developments in Canada are:
l. the amount of GHGs emitted per person (GHGs per capita), and
2.the amount of GHGs per unit of gross domestic product (GHG intensity of the economy).
These indicators show the relationship between the size of Canada's population and the amount of GHGs emitted, and how efficiently sectors in the economy are minimizing GHG emissions while producing goods and services for our consumption and export.
The level of emissions per unit of gross domestic product was 33% lower in 2015 than in 1990. Over that period, GHGs per unit of gross domestic product decreased from 0.62 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) per $billion gross domestic producIn 1990 to 0.41 Mt CO2 eq per $billion gross domestic product in 2015. The amount of GHGs emitted per person in Canada decreased to 20.1 tonnes CO2 eq in 2015, compared with 22.1 tonnes CO2 eq in 1990.
These improvements are attributable to a number of factors such as more efficient industrial processes, a shift to a more service-based economy and a decrease in the emissions associated with energy generation (such as those realized through fuel switching)....