The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) has today published data that reveals the carbon emissions emitted in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). This data shows more needs to be done, and quickly, if governments are to meet their climate commitments.
“There is a yawning gap between our ambitious climate commitments and the scale of climate action on the ground,” says Bryan Purcell, VP of Policy and Programs.
“The GTHA is among the most successful and prosperous urban regions in the world. We have the talent, the financial capital, and the public support needed to be world leaders in climate action. What we don’t have is the time to dither.”
This carbon emissions inventory is being published at a highly relevant moment, as governments across the region grapple with how to act on the climate emergencies they’ve declared, as residents demand more action, and as financial markets internalize climate-related risks. It provides cities with the data and policy ideas to chart the path towards a vibrant, prosperous carbon-neutral GTHA by 2050.
HIGHLIGHTS
This one-of-a-kind comprehensive inventory uses consistent methodology, data sources, and time frames across all six GTHA municipalities to create a regional picture with municipal-level detail. It reveals for the first time that:
- 49.2
megatonnes of carbon emissions were emitted in 2017
- 4.1 megatonnes in Durham, 3.8 in Halton, 10.4 in Hamilton, 10.6 in Peel, 14.0 in Toronto, 6.3 in York
- 21.0 megatonnes from the buildings sector, 16.6 from the transportation sector, 9.3 from the industrial sector, 1.8 from the waste sector and 0.5 from the agricultural sector
- 77 per cent of emissions came from the building and transportation sectors
- Transportation emissions rose between 2015 and 2017, even on a per capita basis, due to more and bigger vehicles on the road being driven longer distances and sitting in traffic
- Overall carbon emissions fell 3.4 per cent between 2015 and 2017 – or, 1.7 per cent a year. Analysis suggests the drop is likely due to fluctuations in the weather, rather than governmental climate actions. Even if that level of reduction were sustained, it wouldn’t be enough to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. We need average annual reductions of seven per cent
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Carbon Emissions Inventory for the GTHA: 2019 Edition reports on carbon emissions from 2015-17, covering the major sources across the region: buildings, transportation, industry, waste, and agriculture. The inventory generally follows the guidelines established in the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions, covering Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
About The Atmospheric Fund
The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) is a regional climate agency that invests in low-carbon solutions for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and helps scale them up for broad implementation. We are experienced leaders and collaborate with stakeholders in the private, public and non-profit sectors who have ideas and opportunities for reducing carbon emissions. Supported by endowment funds, we advance the most promising concepts by investing, providing grants, influencing policies and running programs. We’re particularly interested in ideas that offer benefits in addition to carbon reduction such as improving people’s health, creating local jobs, boosting urban resiliency, and contributing to a fair society.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Estelle Taylor,
Communications Manager, TAF
etaylor@taf.ca, 416 393 6382
