Canada 200M tonnes away from meeting international emissions promise.

OTTAWA - Canada has just 13 years to cut almost 200 million tonnes of yearly carbon emissions if it hopes to meet its 2015 international climate treaty obligations.

Mia Rabson.

Such a reduction would be the equivalent of taking 44 million cars off the road — twice the number of passenger vehicles that were registered in Canada two years ago.

The latest national emissions inventory report, published in April, shows Canada's emissions at 722 million tonnes in 2015, down just 0.7 per cent from the previous year.

As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, Canada agreed to a target of 523 million tonnes by 2030 — 30 per cent less than what the country generated in 2005.

The target becomes even more daunting if there is any growth in emissions from industries, such as expanded production in the oilsands or new manufacturing.

Indeed, the pipeline projects Canada has already approved in principle could add more than 40 million tonnes from additional oil extraction alone.

Nonetheless, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is insisting the government's climate change plan will allow Canada to meet its target.

Read Mia Rabson’s story in the Brandon Sun - “Canada 200M tonnes away from meeting international emissions promise.”