The Syncrude oil sands extraction facility is reflected in a tailings pond near the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta on June 1, 2014. Canada would have to cut its emissions almost in half over the next 12 years to meet the stiffer targets dozens of international climate change experts say is required to prevent catastrophic climate changes from the planet getting too warm. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says there will be irreversible changes and the entire loss of some ecosystems if the world doesn't take immediate and intensive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions far more than we are now. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
October 09, 2018 - 2:15 PM
OTTAWA - Climate change by the numbers:
1 C: Increase in average global ground temperature in 2016, compared to the mid 19th century
0.2 C: Average increase in average global ground temperature each decade currently
1.5 C: The maximum increase in global temperature the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the world should aim for to prevent catastrophic, irreversible impacts like flooding, famines, droughts and hurricanes
2 C: The long term goal of the Paris climate change accord for global warming
3 C - 4 C: Amount the UN says the Arctic has warmed up compared to pre-industrial times
4.5 tonnes: Amount of emissions coming from the tailpipe of an average passenger car over the course of a year
704 million tonnes: Amount of total emissions coming from Canada in 2016, the latest year for which the numbers are available
512.4 million tonnes: Current target for Canada's emissions by 2030, equivalent to 70 per cent of what Canada's emissions were in 2005
385 million tonnes: Target the UN suggests Canada should aim for to keep the world from warming beyond 1.5 C
45 per cent: Portion of Canada's emissions that came from the energy sector in 2016
20 per cent: Portion of Canada's emissions that come from road transportation in 2016
News from © The Canadian Press, 2018