Canada's cold climate and long heating season creates one of the largest carbon footprints on the planet. When you compare our population to the amount of energy we use, Canada is ranked very high for GHG emissions and energy demand.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, our national energy use breaks down like so...

From data collected in 2019, The World Bank Group and Climate Watch found that Canadians each contributed 15.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which ranks our country about 7th in the world for GHG emissions per capita.

Transportation and stationary combustion sources make up more than 70% of Canada's total emissions. The pie chart below from the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change categorizes our country's carbon footprint by sector and type of energy use:

The largest category, Energy-Stationary Combustion Sources, includes solid, liquid and gas fuel burning appliances that don't move around; a boiler type heating system in a MURB using natural gas is an example of this type. The sector is where most buildings are considered.

Performing energy retrofits on our built environment may create a significant reduction in Canada's overall carbon footprint. Additionally, energy retrofits on our homes and buildings may also reduce electricity and fuel demands, while low carbon initiatives may reduce emissions in some light and heavy industries.