Every two years, the Capital Regional District (CRD) and Stantec Consulting Inc. put together a report on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Greater Victoria area.
The latest report by the two organizations reports on all calculated and recorded emissions from last year.
The report even goes so far as to break down what is causing the bulk of GHG emissions, and unsurprisingly, vehicles and natural gas heating are proven to be most responsible time and time again.
Overall, the CRD produced 1.86 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions in 2022, a 1% increase from 2020 when the last report was released.
Despite this small increase on a year-over-year basis,when looking at the region per capita, there has been a 25% decrease in emissions since 2007.
The report also says that around 75% of all the CRD’s emissions are due to buildings and transportation with natural gas being the biggest contributor among the buildings contributions.
Since 2007, there has been a decrease in car-related emissions;however, there has been a stark increase in the number of cars in the region. This statistic could be attributed to the energy efficiency of vehicles and the number of electric cars on the roads in 2022.
“To achieve our regional GHG emissions targets, we need to continue to see sustained investments and policy shifts both locally, provincially, nationally and beyond,” said CRD Board Chair, Colin Plant. “The status quo approach is not going to achieve the results we want and need.”
“Our region, province, country and world need to commit to meeting our collective climate targets to ensure a sustainable future for our children.”
Plant added that the CRD is continuing to take forward strides toward reducing emissions.
The CRD is now taking this information and the now known increases in emissions to try to identify further areas that can reduce emissions.
Their Climate Action Strategy looks to increase the availability of low-carbon communities, zero-carbon vehicles, active transportation options and energy efficient infrastructure and buildings.
By 2038, the CRD’s lofty goal is to reduce GHG emissions by 61%.
 and Stantec Consulting Inc. put together a report on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Greater Victoria area. ){kind=link}