Toronto’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increase in 2021
Toronto must continue to scale up its greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs and initiatives to reach its interim targets and net zero by 2040.
Introduction
The City’s 2021 Sector-Based Emissions Inventory (SBEI) tracks Toronto’s progress towards its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and identifies direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from three key sectors: buildings, transportation, and waste. The sources that contribute the largest percentage of emissions in Toronto are natural gas heating in residential buildings (30% of community-wide emissions) and gasoline combustion in passenger vehicles (24% of emissions).
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
2021 Key Findings
- In 2021, Toronto’s community-wide GHG emissions were 14.5 megatonnes (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), a four per cent increase over the 14 MT CO2e emitted in 2020. Emissions were 41 per cent less than 1990 levels.
- COVID-19 lockdowns continued during the first half of 2021 and schools remained closed to in-person learning until fall 2021. This means that the emissions increase in 2021 represents six months of a resumption of pre-pandemic activity. This upward trend in emissions is expected to continue when we have data for 2022 since activity returned to pre-pandemic levels.
- Toronto’s 2021 emissions need to be reduced by 1.0 MT, which equates to removing 293,643 gas-powered cars off the road or converting 200,751 single-family homes to energy-efficient homes either through building envelope retrofits (such as adding insulation and replacing windows) or switching from natural gas heating to electric heat pumps. Reaching this level of reduction may be particularly challenging given that emissions increased with the resumption of pre-pandemic activity in the second half of 2021.
Emissions by Sector
Building sector emissions maintained its position as the largest source of GHG emissions, constituting 56 per cent of the total emissions (8.1MT). Specifically, the use of natural gas for heating in residential buildings accounted for 30 per cent of Toronto’s overall emissions.
Transportation sector emissions remained the second-largest contributor to GHG emissions, comprising 35 per cent of total emissions (5.1MT). An additional 0.5MT in CO2e was observed from 2020-2021, likely due to reduced pandemic restrictions. Gasoline consumption in passenger cars and trucks accounts for 24 per cent of emissions in 2021. Of note is the 17 per cent increase in emissions from commercial and heavy vehicles, but a negligible increase in vehicle kilometers traveled, due to an increase in commercial and heavy vehicles on local roads. Driving along local roads leads to more stops and starts, which increases emissions.
Waste sector emissions, primarily from landfills, were the third-largest source of GHG emissions in Toronto, at 9 percent (1.3MT).
Toronto’s “A List” Score on GHG Accounting and Action Reporting
As a Global Covenant of Mayors signatory, the City of Toronto has been disclosing its GHG emissions inventory and its climate mitigation and adaptation actions annually to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in order to share Toronto’s progress and benchmark against other cities facing similar challenges.
For the fifth year in a row, the City of Toronto is recognized on the 2023 Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Cities “A” List for its leadership and transparency on climate action. Toronto was one of 119 cities globally to receive an “A” rating.
The City follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for its sector-based GHG emission inventories.
Previous Sector-Based Inventories
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
SDGs Addressed:
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Targets Identified:
- Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
- Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
- Target 13.5: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
Indicators Identified:
- Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer, and development actions
- Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula
- Indicator 13.5.1: Mobilized amount of United States dollars per year between 2020 and 2025 accountable towards the $100 billion commitment
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning | Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer, and development actions |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning | Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.5: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible | Indicator 13.5.1: Mobilized amount of United States dollars per year between 2020 and 2025 accountable towards the $100 billion commitment |
Analysis:
1. The SDGs addressed in the article are SDG 13: Climate Action.
2. The specific targets identified based on the article’s content are:
– Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
– Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
– Target 13.5: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible.
3. The indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets are:
– Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer, and development actions.
– Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.
– Indicator 13.5.1: Mobilized amount of United States dollars per year between 2020 and 2025 accountable towards the $100 billion commitment.
The article highlights Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions and the need to scale up emissions reduction programs to reach interim targets and net zero by 2040. This aligns with SDG 13: Climate Action, which aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
The targets identified in the article focus on integrating climate change measures into national policies and strategies (Target 13.2), improving education and awareness on climate change mitigation and adaptation (Target 13.3), and mobilizing financial resources for developing countries (Target 13.5).
The indicators mentioned in the article indirectly relate to the identified targets. Indicator 13.2.1 can measure the strengthening of institutional and individual capacity-building for implementing climate change actions. Indicator 13.3.1 can assess the integration of climate change topics into educational curricula. Indicator 13.5.1 can track the mobilization of financial resources towards the $100 billion commitment.
Overall, the article emphasizes the need for climate action and highlights Toronto’s efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions. By analyzing the article, we can identify the relevant SDGs, targets, and indicators that align with the issues discussed.
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: toronto.ca
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