Saskatchewan's per capita greenhouse gas emissions have declined slightly in recent years but remain the highest in Canada, a report from the Canadian Federal government indicates.
Per capita emissions in 2010 were estimated at 69.8 tonnes of greenhouse gas per person, more than triple the all-Canada rate, which was 20.3 tonnes per person, according to Canada’s Emissions Trends Report that was released Wednesday by Environment Canada.
The Saskatchewan figure was down 1.8 per cent from 2005, when per capita emissions were 71.1 tonnes per person.
Environment Canada report measures carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, or its equivalent.
The report notes that provinces like Saskatchewan that depend on fossil fuels for their electricity generation tend to have per capita emissions above the national average.
The per capita drop happened in part because the population has increased over the five year period.
In fact, according to the report, the province's total greenhouse emissions actually increased from 71 megatonnes to 73 megatonnes between 2005 and 2010.
Saskatchewan and Alberta were the only provinces that saw their total emissions increase.
Over the next decade, it's projected total emissions in Saskatchewan will fall, however, from 73 megatonnes to 64 megatonnes.
"The decline in emissions from 2005 to 2020 in Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are due in large part to government measures related to coal-fired electricity," the report said.
Under the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, Canada is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020.
Source: CBC and Canada's Emissions Trends 2012 - Government of Canada Report
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