Emissions Takeaways
Behind the report
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Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Carbon Inventory
Emissions increased in all regions of the GTHA
Overall trend reflects little progress since 2015
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Summary

Emissions climb toward pre-pandemic levels, risking 2030 targets

Increase of 4.5% to 51.2 million tonnes from 2020 to 2021

Read the full Summary
51.2 Mt total emissions
Increased by 4.5% in 2021
Annual 8% decrease needed
To hit 2030 targets across the GTHA
44% are from buildings
Buildings remain top source of emissions, followed by transportation.

The densely populated GTHA is the second-largest financial centre in North America and represents 42% of Ontario's total emissions.

8,244.42 km2 of contiguous urban land
7.7 million total population

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in Canada includes the city of Toronto, the city of Hamilton, and the regional municipalities of Halton, Peel, York, and Durham.

This 8,244 square kilometre urban region, home to 7.3 million people, is Canada's commercial, distribution, and financial core. Almost half of Ontario's emissions come from this region. TAF acknowledges these boundaries were created by settlers and do not reflect the Indigenous people who have occupied these lands for thousands of years or their respective traditional territories or treaties.

Regional Data

Regional Emissions at a Glance

Carbon Emissions across the GTHA

See overview
Durham
Includes the cities of Oshawa and Pickering, the towns of Whitby and Ajax, the Municipality of Clarington, and the Townships of Scugog, Uxbridge, and Brock.
Halton
Includes the City of Burlington and the towns of Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills.
Hamilton
The City of Hamilton is the fifth largest city in Ontario and the tenth largest in Canada.
Peel
Includes the cities of Brampton and Mississauga and the Town of Caledon
Toronto
With a population of almost 2.8 million, the City of Toronto is Canada’s largest city.
York
Includes the cities of Markham, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan, and the towns of Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Newmarket, and Whitchurch-Stouffville, and the Township of King.

Sector Data

Sector Emissions at a Glance

See overview
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Buildings
Made up of onsite natural gas combustion and electricity consumption
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Transportation
Largely attributable to gasoline-powered private vehicles
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Industry
Driven by cement and steel plants in the region
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Waste
Dominated by the release of methane in landfills
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Agriculture
Driven by continued use of nitrogen-based fertilizers

Behind the report

The inventory generally follows the guidelines established in the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions, covering Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

Methodology (PDF)
Maryam Shekarrizfard
Maryam Shekarrizfard
Carbon and Co-Benefits Quantification Manager
Patrick Ronan
Patrick Ronan
Carbon and Co-Benefits Quantification Analyst
Aakash Harpalani
Aakash Harpalani
Director, Clean Energy
Ekaterina Tzekova
Ekaterina Tzekova
Director, Research + Innovation