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FACTBOOK
Canada FactbookDraft

November 2026 Edition

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Canada Factbook · National chapter / CAN

Environment

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2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

Sections in Environment
  1. Environmental issues
  2. International environmental agreements
  3. Climate
  4. Land use
  5. Urbanization
  6. Carbon dioxide emissions
  7. Particulate matter emissions
  8. Methane emissions
  9. Waste and recycling
  10. Total water withdrawal
  11. Total renewable water resources
  12. Geoparks

Environment

Environmental issues:70

air pollution and acid rain from vehicle emissions, coal-burning, and metal smelting severely affecting lakes and forests; seawater pollution from agriculture, industry, mining, and forestry
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [70]

International environmental agreements:71

party to:Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [71]

Climate:72

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [72]

Land use:73

agricultural land:6.5% (2023 est.)
arable land:4.3% (2023 est.)
permanent crops:0% (2023 est.)
permanent pasture:2.1% (2023 est.)
forest:42% (2023 est.)
other:51.4% (2023 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [73]

Urbanization:74

urban population:81.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization:0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [74]

Carbon dioxide emissions:75

total emissions:585.853 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke:32.486 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids:294.196 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas:259.171 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [75]

Particulate matter emissions:76

6.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Source context

Reference period: 2019.

Original reference ↗

Source note [76]

Methane emissions:77

energy:2,787.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture:1,049.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste:816.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
other:39.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [77]

Waste and recycling:78

municipal solid waste generated annually:25.103 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled:23.1% (2022 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [78]

Total water withdrawal:79

municipal:4.869 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial:27.357 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural:3.859 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [79]

Total renewable water resources:80

2.902 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Source context

Reference period: 2022.

Original reference ↗

Source note [80]

Geoparks:81

total global geoparks and regional networks:5
global geoparks and regional networks:Perce; Stonehammer; Tumbler Ridge; Cliffs of Fundy; Discovery (2023)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [81]

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Environmental issues. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  2. International environmental agreements. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Urbanization. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Carbon dioxide emissions. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Particulate matter emissions. Reference edition; observation: 2019. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  8. Methane emissions. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Waste and recycling. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Total water withdrawal. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Total renewable water resources. Reference edition; observation: 2022. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Geoparks. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-05 17:28:40 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
← People and SocietyNotes & sourcesGovernment →

Countries & territories

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RankCountry or territoryValue
Source information
International organization

Source observations