Leafing through a Guide to Responsible Investing magazine, I came across an article by Kelly Hirsch of VanCity Investment Management which made me think. The article is mainly about how green hydrogen can help in decarbonizing transportation, but what really struck me was her brief analysis of the carbon emissions of the transportation sector.
The transportation sector accounts for about 25% of Canada's emissions (cf. 29% in USA, and just 12.9% globally). Of that, road transportation accounts for about 74% (the rest being from marine transport and aviation). And, of that, passenger vehicles (cars, motorcycles, buses) account for 60%, with the rest being from road freight, i.e. trucking.
So, doing the math, passenger vehicle transportation therefore accounts for 25% x 74% x 60% = 11% of total carbon emissions in Canada (and a little bit more in the USA). Now, you could see that as a significant amount, but it is actually much less than I was expecting. With all the fuss we make about electric cars and hybrids and gas-guzzlers, that whole sector only accounts for about a tenth of our emissions?
I don't know where Ms. Hirsch obtained her figures, but I have no reason to suspect them. And I love my electric car, but I will probably read news articles about reducing carbon emissions from cars slightly differently henceforth.
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