This study re-examines Canada’s contribution to global climate change in light of the Paris Agreement by looking at extracted carbon—the total amount of fossil fuels removed from Canadian soil that ends up in the atmosphere—whether used for domestic purposes or exported and combusted elsewhere.

According to the study, Canada’s extracted carbon has risen dramatically, almost exclusively because of our country’s growing fossil fuel exports. Extracted carbon emissions from Canada increased 26 per cent from 2000 to 2014. In 2015, Canada’s extracted carbon equalled almost 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Canadian climate policy must consider supply-side measures such as rejecting new fossil fuel infrastructure and new leases for exploration and drilling, increasing royalties, and eliminating fossil fuel subsidies.

This study is as part of the Corporate Mapping Project, a research and public engagement initiative investigating the power of the fossil fuel industry in Western Canada. The CMP is jointly led by the University of Victoria, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Parkland Institute.

This research was supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).