2022 was, unfortunately, another record year for global carbon emissions. CO2 reductions observed at the start of the pandemic were rapidly eroded, with emissions exceeding pre-pandemic levels considerably. The global average atmospheric CO2 concentration at the end of 2022 was 417 parts per million. The last time we saw CO2 concentrations at this level was during the Pliocene Epoch, about 3 million years ago. At that time, Hudson’s Bay and the Great Lakes did not yet exist, Greenland was still attached to Nunavut, and the first Homo species would not evolve for another 500,000 years.
Compounding these emissions increases are reductions in the carbon sinks we need so badly to absorb increasing carbon dioxide. Forests, essential for absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, experienced record deforestation, with Brazil’s Amazon losing 10,573 km2, an astounding 3,000 football fields per day.
Closer to home, in Ontario, 2022 saw the provincial government pass Bill 23, a bill that significantly amends and creates new legislation affecting planning and land development across the province. This Bill is intended to spur housing development, with a goal to construct 1.5 million homes in Ontario over the next decade. However, Bill 23 will cause incalculable harm to Ontario’s Greenbelt and other environmentally sensitive areas. When this land is developed, it is gone forever. It is no longer a natural asset, a carbon sink, or a food source. Moreover, it will be replaced with sprawling, low-density homes whose transportation needs cannot be serviced by transit – exacerbating our dependence on cars to get us to work and recreational opportunities – and increasing emissions.
In the face of such challenges, our work at Clean Air Partnership has never been more important. In 2022 we delivered projects addressing building emissions through our Clean Air Council and Home Energy Labelling projects. Through The Centre for Active Transportation, we continued our work to advance safe and equitable active transportation solutions for several Ontario communities. We also delivered a range of tools to build the capacity of municipal staff to reduce emissions through the climate implications repository, driving savings calculator, climate action atlas and through our fleet electrification capacity building work. We look forward to building on this work with our partners in 2023 and beyond, as the need for this work is now greater than ever.
Read our 2022 Annual Report for an overview of CAP’s projects and impact in 2022. Our 2022 AGM will be held at Toronto City Hall on June 13th, 2023.
By Kevin Behan, Operations Director