April 16, 2019 (TORONTO) – According to Canada’s submission to the United Nations (2019 National Inventory Report 1990-2017),
Canada’s 2017 national emissions increased by 8 MT bringing it up to a
total of 716 MT. Oil sands emissions also increased by 8 MT. The 81 MT
from bitumen extraction and processing is now greater than total
provincial emissions of Quebec, British-Columbia or Manitoba. Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist with Greenpeace Canada, explains:

“All around the world people are calling for action on the
climate crisis and yet new data shows that Canadian emissions of
heat-trapping pollution went up by 8 MT in 2017. Increases in emissions
from the tar sands are undoing all the progress being made in other
sectors, such that greenhouse gas emissions from the tar sands alone are
now larger than the emissions of Quebec, British-Columbia or
Saskatchewan. If we are serious about protecting communities from
climate-fueled floods, wildfires and other extreme weather, the last
thing Canada should be doing is building new pipelines to expand oil
production and exports. Either we act like this truly is a crisis that
threatens our health and survival, or we sleepwalk towards disaster.
It’s as simple as that and our politicians are currently choosing the
second option.”