The total energy use by industries and households in Canada increased 2.1 per cent in 2013, following a 0.2 per cent gain the previous year.
Greenhouse has (GHG) emissions rose 1.9 per cent in 2013 following a one per cent gain in 2012.
This information was released in a recent report coming from Statistics Canada. The changes took place as economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product was two per cent in 2012 and 2.1 per cent in 2013.
Households continued to be largest energy users in 2013, accounting for 23.7 per cent of national energy use, up from 23.3 per cent in 2012. Conversely, households were responsible for 19.4 per cent of national GHG emissions, since a large portion of household energy use is electricity, which does not directly contribute to household GHG emissions.
Energy use in the utilities and construction industries declined for the third consecutive year in 2013, falling from 13.2 per cent of national energy use in 2012 to 12.6 per cent the following year.
The growth trend for GHG emissions in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extration industries continued, as they remained the largest source of GHG emissions in 2013, accounting for 21.5 per cent of the national total. These industries are more prominent in terms of GHG emissions than in energy use because of fugitive emissions from oil and gas extraction.
The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industries (accounting for 11.2 per cent of national GHG emissions) are similarly pushed higher by the contribution of emissions from crop and animal production.
In other services and public administration, GHG emissions rose by five per cent despite a decrease in energy use. The decline in energy use was related to lower electricity consumption, which was offset by the increased use of fossil fuels.
