Canada ranks among world’s top 4 CO2-emitting countries due to wildfires
Date
8/29/2024 8:49:34 AM
(MENAFN) A recent study revealed that last year's unprecedented wildfires have catapulted Canada into the ranks of the world's top four CO2-emitting countries. This significant shift, which places Canada behind only China, the United States, and India, also raises concerns about the future role of Canadian forests in capturing and storing carbon dioxide. The wildfires, which ravaged 15 million hectares—approximately four percent of Canada's forested land—displaced over 200,000 people and released a staggering 2,371 megatonnes of CO2. This surge in emissions pushed Canada from its previous position as the eleventh-largest CO2 emitter globally to fourth place.
The study, which analyzed satellite data of carbon monoxide in smoke plumes from wildfires that raged between May and September, underscores the long-term implications of such events. Researchers warn that the hot, dry conditions that fueled these wildfires are expected to become more frequent by the 2050s, likely leading to an increase in fire activity across Canada. This trend poses a significant threat to the country's boreal forests, which have historically played a critical role as carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 as they regrow after fires.
Brendan Byrne, the study's lead author, expressed concern that the combination of more frequent and intense fires, along with droughts in certain regions, could hinder the ability of these forests to recover and continue sequestering carbon. As a result, the time it takes for scorched forests to regrow and reabsorb the CO2 released by wildfires could extend, reducing their overall carbon uptake capacity. This diminished capacity could force Canada to reconsider and potentially lower its allowable fossil fuel emissions to account for the reduced carbon absorption by its forests.
Canada has committed under the Paris Agreement to cut carbon emissions by 40 to 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. In 2022, the country's total CO2-equivalent emissions from fossil fuel combustion were reported at 708 megatonnes. As global temperatures have risen over the past two decades, the frequency and intensity of extreme wildfires have more than doubled worldwide, according to a June study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. While the wildfire situation in Canada has been somewhat less severe this year, it remains dire, with the beloved tourist town of Jasper in western Canada partially destroyed by fires in July.
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