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Study: Household greenhouse gas emissions
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Households were either directly or indirectly responsible for almost half of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2004. Overall emissions related to households increased 13% from about 285 900 kilotonnes in 1990 to 321 700 kilotonnes in 2004.
Household emissions from motor fuel use and residential fuel use (direct emissions) accounted for about one-third of household-related emissions.
The remaining two-thirds of household-related GHG emissions were those that resulted from industrial production of the goods and services purchased by households (indirect emissions).
Chart 1
Two-thirds of household GHG emissions result from spending on goods and services
Motor fuels were the largest source of direct emissions attributable to households. Household emissions from motor fuel use increased by 29% from 55 800 kilotonnes to 71 900 kilotonnes between 1990 and 2004. Direct emissions from fuel use in the home remained relatively stable.
Greenhouse gases emitted by industries to meet households' demand for domestic goods and services (indirect household emissions) increased 11% from 189 200 kilotonnes in 1990 to 209 200 kilotonnes in 2004.
Almost two-thirds of indirect household GHG emissions were linked to goods production, while the remainder was due to the production of services.
The goods and services that resulted in the highest indirect GHG emissions included electricity; food and beverages; restaurant meals and accommodations; and motor fuels and lubricants. These four categories represented 54% of total indirect emissions from households.
Note: The study, "Greenhouse gas emissions: A focus on Canadian households," examined household greenhouse gas emissions using data from Statistics Canada's Material and Energy Flow Accounts. Direct household emissions are the greenhouse gases that are emitted when people drive their vehicles and use fossil fuels to heat their homes. Indirect household emissions are the greenhouse gases that are emitted when industries produce the goods and services that people purchase for household use. Chapter 4 of the publication, Concepts, Sources and Methods of the Canadian System of Environmental and Resource Accounts (16-505-GIE, free) describes in detail the conceptual framework, data sources and empirical methods used in this study.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5115.
The article "Greenhouse gas emissions: A focus on Canadian households" is now available in EnviroStats, Winter 2008, Vol. 2, no. 4 (16-002-XWE, free), from the Publications module of our website.
The articles "A geographical profile of livestock manure production in Canada, 2006," "Households' use of water and wastewater services" and "Canadian participation in an environmentally active lifestyle," are also available in this publication.
This issue of EnviroStats also includes a short item on "Energy efficient holiday lights," based on data from the upcoming 2007 Households and the Environment Survey, which will be released in early 2009.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact the Information Officer (613-951-0297; environ@statcan.gc.ca), Environment Accounts and Statistics Division.
