Keeping houses heated is another major factor. Much of the responsibility lies with countries like Canada, where the report found that per-capita consumption emissions are six times higher than India's, which average to 2.2 tonnes per person annually.Ĭanadians' love for meat and dairy were found to be significant contributors to carbon footprints, partly due to the popularity of cheese and beef, which are carbon-intensive foods. UN sounds alarm on 'irreversible' climate impacts, but offers hope.Preventing the runaway global warming and extreme weather events predicted in the IPCC's latest modeling will require changing how we get around, how we heat and cool our homes, and what we eat, according to the Berlin-based research. In order to be on track to hit that mark, the average should be 2.5 tonnes per person by 2030. The number to shoot for is 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per capita each year by 2050, according to the report's findings. The concept behind the 1.5 Degree Lifestyles report was to take the target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and, drawing on modelling from the IPCC, establish an equitable target carbon footprint for individuals - one that is the same no matter where a person lives in the world, rich or poor. (Stéphane Grégoire/Radio-Canada) Fewer fossil-fuel cars, less meat While citizens can reduce their carbon footprint by buying electric cars or opting to bike, train or bus, experts say the government also needs to provide reliable, efficient public transit options for all. I would look at it from that perspective, rather than think that it's a problem that's too big to solve," Anand said.Ī photo shows commuters stuck in a traffic jam in Laval, Que. While the cuts required might sound drastic, it is possible according to Madhur Anand, a professor in the school of environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph and director of the Guelph Institute for Environmental Research. "If one must use a car, then an electric car in Iceland might make sense, where 100 per cent of electricity comes from renewables, but not in India where electricity is primarily generated from coal." "There is no universal sustainable lifestyle," the report states. If Canada is going to play its part, he said, the country will need to cut per-capita carbon emissions by 82 per cent in the next decade, and by 95 per cent by 2050.Įating meat, using fossil fuel cars, flying, and living in large houses with high energy consumption are all highlighted in the report as lifestyle choices that contribute to larger carbon footprints. 'Not just the individual': Need for better infrastructure "I do think the atmosphere in Canada provides a real opportunity for us asking for change," said lead author Lewis Akenji, who is also the managing director of the Hot or Cool Institute.Īkenji said the idea was to link the Paris Agreement targets to tangible lifestyle changes that can make a difference, in light of this year's "code red" report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). By comparison, the average per-capita footprint in Finland is 9.7 tonnes and in the United Kingdom it's 8.5 tonnes. The average person in Canada produces an equivalent of 14.2 tonnes of CO2 as of 2019, according to the findings. Have questions about climate science, policy or politics? Email us: Your input helps inform our coverage.The analysis compared the average per-capita carbon emissions of people in each of those countries, a metric the authors called "average lifestyle carbon footprints." The report focuses on key domains where tangible lifestyle changes could make a significant difference, including food, housing and personal transportation. (Australia and the United States, which are also among the world's highest per-capita emitters, were not included in the report.) Lewis Akenji, managing director of the Hot or Cool Institute and lead author of the study says it can’t be up to Canadians alone, and the federal government must play a role. Duration 3:09 A study published by a Berlin think-tank says Canadians must cut their carbon footprints by 95 per cent to help the world limit global warming to the 1.5 C goal set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
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