Canada's greenhouse gas emissions come mostly from producing oil and gas, moving people and goods, and heating buildings. According to the federal government's 2026 national inventory, Canada emitted about 685 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂e) in 2024 — roughly 10% below 2005 levels and almost unchanged from 2023. The breakdown shows where emissions are concentrated and which ones households can influence directly.
Key takeaways
- Oil and gas production is Canada's largest emitting sector, at about 30% of the national total.
- Transportation comes second at about 22%, followed by buildings at about 12%.
- Electricity is only about 7% of emissions because most Canadian power comes from hydro, nuclear and other low-emitting sources.
- Households directly influence a meaningful share through home heating, vehicles and the products they buy.
Canada's emissions by sector
Environment and Climate Change Canada reports emissions by "economic sector" so it's easier to see which parts of the economy produce them. The figures below are for 2024 and are rounded.
| Sector | Emissions (Mt CO₂e) | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Oil and gas | ~208 | ~30% |
| Transport | ~151 | ~22% |
| Buildings | ~81 | ~12% |
| Heavy industry | ~77 | ~11% |
| Agriculture | ~70 | ~10% |
| Electricity | ~50 | ~7% |
| Waste and others | ~47 | ~7% |
| Total | ~685 | 100% |
Source: Government of Canada, National Inventory Report (2026 edition). Totals may not add up exactly because of rounding.
The big three, explained
Oil and gas
This sector covers extracting, processing and transporting oil and natural gas — including the oil sands, conventional wells, natural gas processing, pipelines and refineries. Emissions come from burning fuel to power operations, from methane that leaks or is vented, and from processes such as upgrading bitumen. Production has grown over the years, which is why this sector's emissions remain high even as some operations become more efficient per barrel.
Note that this category counts emissions from producing fuels in Canada. Emissions from burning those fuels in cars or furnaces show up under transport and buildings, and emissions from exported fuels are counted wherever they're burned.
Transportation
Passenger vehicles, freight trucks, domestic aviation, rail and marine all fall here. Personal cars and light trucks make up a large share, and the long-term shift toward bigger vehicles such as SUVs and pickups has offset some efficiency gains. Heavy-duty freight trucking is also a significant and growing source.
Electric vehicles can cut tailpipe emissions to zero, and the lifecycle benefit is especially large in provinces with clean grids.
Buildings
This mostly means burning natural gas, heating oil and propane for space and water heating in homes, offices, schools and stores. Cold winters make buildings a bigger share of emissions in Canada than in many other countries. Electricity used in buildings is counted under the electricity sector, not here.
This is where homeowners have the most direct influence. Heat pumps, geothermal systems, better insulation and air sealing all reduce fuel burned on site. Our whole-home upgrade sequence explains how to tackle these in a sensible order.
The rest of the picture
Heavy industry
Cement, steel, chemicals, fertilizer, mining and smelting produce emissions from burning fuel and from chemical processes — for example, making cement releases CO₂ directly from limestone. Some of these "process emissions" can't be eliminated by switching fuels alone, which is why technologies like carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen are being explored.
Agriculture
Emissions here come mostly from livestock digestion (methane), manure and fertilizer use (nitrous oxide), and on-farm fuel. These are some of the hardest emissions to measure precisely and to reduce.
Electricity
Canada's grid is already one of the cleanest in the world because hydro, nuclear, wind and solar supply most of our power. The remaining emissions come from coal (now phased out or nearly so in most provinces) and natural gas plants, concentrated in a handful of provinces. Our explainer on how the electric grid works goes deeper.
Waste and others
Landfills release methane as organic waste breaks down. This category also includes coal production, light manufacturing, construction and forestry activities.
How emissions have changed
Canada's emissions peaked in the mid-2000s. The biggest declines since 2005 have come from electricity, mostly thanks to Ontario's coal phase-out and later reductions in Alberta and elsewhere. Emissions from oil and gas, by contrast, are higher than in 2005. Transportation and buildings have been relatively flat over the long term, with population growth offsetting efficiency gains.
The 2024 figures show that progress slowed, with total emissions dropping only slightly from the previous year. For Canada's longer-term goals and what they require, see our explainer on net-zero by 2050.
Where your household fits in
You won't see "household" as a single line in the national inventory, but households drive emissions in several sectors:
- Home heating and hot water (buildings)
- Personal vehicles (transport)
- Electricity use, depending on your province's grid (electricity)
- Food, goods and waste (agriculture, industry and waste — partly outside Canada's inventory if the products are imported)
If you want to see your own numbers, our guide to calculating your household carbon footprint walks through the steps, and our carbon page has tools to help.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Canada's per-person emissions rate so high?
Canada has a cold climate, long travel distances, a large resource-extraction sector and a relatively small population. Together, those factors put per-capita emissions among the highest in the world, even though our total is a small share of global emissions.
Does the national inventory include emissions from forests and wildfires?
The headline total excludes land use, land-use change and forestry, which is reported separately. Wildfire emissions are tracked but treated differently because they're largely considered natural disturbances.
Which sector has cut emissions the most since 2005?
Electricity. Phasing out coal-fired power, particularly in Ontario and more recently Alberta, has driven most of Canada's emissions reductions since 2005.
The bottom line
Canada's emissions are concentrated in oil and gas, transportation and buildings, with electricity already playing a relatively small role. That's good news for households: the two areas where families have the most control — how they heat their homes and how they get around — are among the biggest pieces of the national total, and clean electricity makes switching them increasingly effective.
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