If all humans emitted as much greenhouse gas (GHG) as the average Quebecer, the planet would be headed for a veritable climate shipwreck. This is demonstrated by an estimate of the carbon footprint made by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) and published on Friday, on the occasion of Earth Day.
According to data released by the government agency, the annual GHG emissions of Quebec “households” total 71.9 million tonnes of CO equivalent.2. This is equivalent, at the “minimum”, to 8.7 tonnes per citizen.
“The household carbon footprint corresponds to the greenhouse gas emissions produced to meet the consumption needs of households, whether they were generated by the households themselves or by the sectors of economic activity that provide them with the goods and services requested,” says the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ). It measures the emissions caused in Quebec (44 million tonnes), elsewhere in Canada (9.9 million tonnes) and elsewhere on the planet (17.4 million tonnes). Among these emissions abroad, 26% come from the United States, 24% from China, and 4% from Mexico.
What’s more, the data used by the ISQ are from 2017. However, since then, Quebec’s total emissions have increased slightly. According to the most recent report available, that of 2019, they reached 84.32 million tonnes, compared to 83.31 million tonnes in 2017.
The figures published by the ISQ are broken down into 10 different categories of goods and services consumed by households. The “energy and fuel” sector is the heavyweight of Quebecers’ balance sheets. If we add transport, which mainly uses fossil fuels, we account for 5.4 tonnes on an annual basis. Added to this is the “food and beverage” sector, with 1.5 tonnes. Next come, in particular, “household furniture and equipment” (0.4 tonnes), “clothing and accessories” (0.3 tonnes), as well as “leisure” (0.3 tonnes).
A world heading towards +2.7°C
With an assessment estimated at 8.7 tonnes per year per person, Quebecers’ GHG emissions are at least four times too high to meet the most ambitious objective of the Paris Agreement, namely limiting climate change to 1 .5°C. To achieve this, emissions per citizen should not exceed two tonnes, at most.
However, Quebecers are far from being the only ones to emit too many GHGs. On a Canadian scale, emissions per citizen reach 15 to 20 tonnes, depending on the calculation methods. This assessment is similar to that of the United States, but it is two to three times higher than the average of the countries of the European Union.
Unsurprisingly, the world’s poorest countries — many of which are already feeling the impacts of the climate crisis — have much lower per capita GHG emissions. According to World Bank data, the average for Latin American and Caribbean countries is 2.64 tons. In sub-Saharan Africa, it reaches 0.76 tons. As for the world average, it is 4.5 tons.
In a context of continuous increase in GHG emissions in the world, the planet is currently heading towards a warming that could exceed 2.7°C over the next few decades. To limit warming to 1.5°C, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that global emissions would need to peak by 2025 at the latest, then decline by 43% by 2030, compared to the level of 2019.
This unprecedented shift since the beginning of the industrial era is essential to hope to meet the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. However, current commitments lead us to a growth of at least 14% in emissions by the end of the decade.
The report published at the beginning of April by the IPCC also notes the need for “changes in our lifestyles” in order to combat climate change. This requires a reduction in the need for motorized transport (including air travel), but also by the development of cities, which must imperatively make it possible to “reduce the consumption of energy” and resources.