麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Canadians among biggest energy users even as world moves toward net-zero emissions

Share
OTTAWA -

Canadians are -- and will remain -- among the biggest consumers of energy over the next decade even as policies ramp up to make the country more energy-efficient, a global energy forecast suggests.

The International Energy Agency's  published Wednesday shows Canadians used more than 300 gigajoules of energy per person last year, more than three times the world average and among the highest in the world.

Canada's energy use was slightly higher than what Americans consumed, and almost twice the energy demand recorded in the European Union.

The agency report forecasts that as a result of policies to make homes more efficient, remove fossil fuels from the power grid and put more electric cars on the road, Canada's power demand will fall below 300 gigajoules per person by 2030.

But it will still be among the highest energy use in the world, and even though energy demand is expected to rise in India, China and the Middle East, Canada's consumption is forecast to remain almost three times the world average.

It takes about 25 gigajoules to power the average Canadian house over 12 months, but the total energy use per person references all energy used, including in transportation, industry, and heating and cooling.

The IEA report doesn't breakdown Canada's energy use by source. However, a report earlier this year from BP said that, in 2020, 61 per cent of energy used in Canada was supplied by burning oil and gas, 25 per cent was from hydroelectricity, six per cent was nuclear energy, four per cent came from renewables like wind and solar power, and 3.7 per cent from burning coal.

BP said oil and gas provided 56 per cent of the world's total energy consumption, while coal provided 27 per cent, nuclear four per cent, hydroelectricity seven per cent and renewables 5.6 per cent.

Isabelle Turcotte, director of federal policy at the Pembina Institute, said many people blame Canada's high energy consumption on its size and climate, and an economy that has been reliant on energy-intensive natural resource production.

"But it doesn't have to be this way," she said. "This doesn't need to translate into high energy needs. We can see other countries that have similar climates being more energy-efficient."

Keith Stewart, a senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada, said this year's IEA energy forecast is aligning its projections for energy demand and supply for the first time with the Paris agreement goal to keep global warming to as close to 1.5 C as possible by the end of this century.

Science suggests the world is already an average of 1 C warmer than it was in pre-industrial times, as decades of fossil-fuel burning left millions of tonnes of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide and methane sitting in the atmosphere.

The world is witnessing more frequent extreme weather -- heat waves and droughts, massive hurricanes and flooding -- at current temperatures, and Stewart said every one-tenth of a degree will add more climate hurt.

Global scientists concur that above 2 C, climate change will become catastrophic and irreversible.

The IEA looked at three scenarios for energy use over the next few decades: one based on only existing climate policies, which would lead to warming of 2.6 C, one based on implementing all the policies promised but not yet enacted, which would lead to 2.1 C, and one based on getting to net zero emissions by 2050.

It is only that last scenario, which would mean no new greenhouse gas emissions are left in the atmosphere, where warming can be limited to 1.5 C, the IEA said.

Canada passed a law last spring requiring it to get to net zero emissions by 2050, but the policies to do so have not yet been unveiled.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2021.

Correction

A previous version erroneously reported that Canada's energy use per capita in 2020 was almost twice the world average and that forecasts show its energy demand would remain about 1.5 times the world average in 2030.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.