Emissions by Sector
Agriculture
Emissions remain largely unchanged over the past 8 years, driven mainly by the application of nitrogen fertilizers to agricultural lands.
Total 2022 carbon emissions 0.44 MtCO2eq
% Change in emissions +2.0%
% of GTHA emissions 1%

Overview

The GTHA’s agricultural emissions increased by 2% to 0.44 MtCO2eq in 2022, continuing to remain above 2019 levels. Methane produced by cattle and nitrous oxide released from the land application of fertilizers is the largest contributor to these emissions.

Agriculture Emissions, 2015-2022 (MtCO2eq)

Agricultural emissions make up about 1% of the GTHA’s total emissions, with most agricultural activity concentrated in Durham. However, much of the food consumed within the GTHA comes from outside the region.

Inventories typically do not account for emissions related to growing, producing, and manufacturing goods outside the inventory boundary. In fact, according to C40, nearly 85% of total emissions associated with consumed goods and services are generated outside cities. And these often have a substantial emissions impact.

The City of Toronto recently released their 2019 consumption-based inventory, Their consumption-based inventory (38.9 Mt) was 2.5 times higher than their sector-based emissions (15.3 Mt) for 2019. TAF will continue to assess Scope 3 emissions, and report where reliable data sources exist.