Toronto’s Sector-Based Emissions Inventory (SBEI) tracks Toronto’s progress towards its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. The SBEI identifies direct and indirect GHG emissions from three key sectors: buildings, transportation and waste. The GHG emissions data included in the tabs below provide an overview of the community-wide GHG emissions and highlight sectors, fuel types and scope, along with emissions generated only by local government activities (such as the City of Toronto corporation) called corporate emissions.
In 2022, Toronto’s community-wide GHG emissions were 15.5 megatonnes (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 e), a five per cent increase over the 14.8 MT CO2 e emitted in 2021. Emissions were 36 per cent less than 1990 levels. The sources that contribute the largest percentage of emissions in Toronto were fossil (natural) gas heating in residential buildings (29 per cent of Toronto’s community-wide emissions) and gasoline combustion in passenger vehicles (23 per cent of emissions).
As per the TransformTO Net Zero by 2040, Toronto’s future sector-based GHG reduction targets from 1990 levels are: 45 per cent by 2025, 65 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2040. The 2022 inventory results show a slight increase in emissions community-wide and the current pace of emissions reductions is unlikely to meet the City’s 2025 emissions target. To achieve these interim targets and ultimately reach net zero by 2040, stronger and more expansive GHG reduction programs, alongside coordinated action, will be essential.
The data in the SBEI and listed below will be updated annually. See details and full report.
This section contains the year over year progress of emissions of buildings, transportation, and waste, from 1990 to 2022.
Overall, community-wide emissions have been decreasing since 1990. In 2022, emissions were 36 per cent lower compared to 1990. However, in the same year, emissions increased by five per cent compared to 2021 levels. The 2022 inventory results indicate that the current pace of emissions reductions is unlikely to meet the City’s 2025 emissions target.
This visual shows a breakdown of the community-wide GHG emissions by sector (Buildings, Transportation and Waste) in percentages in 2022 in a pie chart.
Buildings | 8.7 | 56% |
Transportation | 5.4 | 35% |
Waste | 1.4 | 9% |
This visual shows the year over year community-wide GHG emission from 1990 to 2022 for the three sectors Buildings, Transportation and Waste in a bar chart.
This visual shows the annual community-wide sector-based GHG emissions from 1990 to 2022 in a line chart.
The section includes information on the fuel types reported in the SBEI, including natural gas and gasoline.
Natural gas consumption to heat buildings continued to be the largest source of community-wide GHG emissions in 2022 at approximately 7.9 MT, accounting for about 51 per cent of all emissions. This was six per cent more than 2021. The increase was due to a slightly cooler winter, resulting in more gas use for heating and more emissions. Natural gas usage in residential buildings was the largest single source of emissions, accounting for 29 per cent of community-wide emissions.
In 2022, gasoline used for passenger cars and trucks accounted for 23 per cent of community-wide GHG emissions in Toronto. It is the second largest source of emissions source at approximately 3.6 MT. This is a slight increase from 2021.
This visual shows a breakdown of the community-wide GHG emissions by key fuel types in percentages in 2022 in a pie chart.
Note: The following fuel types are not represented in the chart above because they represent less than one per cent of the community-wide GHG emissions: Combined Organics and Yard Waste Gases, Wastewater Treatment Gases, B20-BioDiesel, B10-BioDiesel, Aviation Fuels, Marine Fuels, B05 BIODIESEL, Propane, and CNG.
This visual shows the community-wide GHG emissions in descending order by fuel type for 2022 in a bar chart.
Note: The following fuel types were combined into “Others”: Electricity (Subways and Streetcars), Diesel, Transit Bus B20, Transit Bus B10, Electricity Transmission Loss, Marine Diesel, Jet Fuel, Aviation Gas, Marine Gasoline, Transit Bus kWh, Marine E10, Gasoline, Marine B05, Marine B10, Off Road B05, Propane, CNG, Off Road B10, and Off Road B20. Refer to the table below for their exact emissions.
Buildings | Electricity | Electricity | 792,785 | 5.11% |
Electricity Transmission Loss | 2,514 | 0.02% | ||
Natural Gas | Natural Gas | 7,836,750 | 50.48% | |
Natural Gas Fugitive | 73,018 | 0.47% | ||
Renewable Natural Gas | 1 | 0.00% | ||
Chilled Water | Chilled Water | 211 | 0.00% | |
Steam | Steam | 9,970 | 0.06% | |
Transportation | Aviation Fuels | Aviation Gas | 198 | 0.00% |
Jet Fuel | 74,286 | 0.48% | ||
Marine Fuels | Marine B05 | 0 | 0.00% | |
Marine B10 | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Marine Diesel | 1,026 | 0.01% | ||
Marine Gasoline | 131 | 0.00% | ||
Marine E10 | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Off Road | CNG | 7 | 0.00% | |
Diesel | 6,971 | 0.04% | ||
Gasoline | 488 | 0.00% | ||
Off Road B05 | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Off Road B10 | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Off Road B20 | 0 | 0.00% | ||
Propane | 0 | 0.00% | ||
On Road | Diesel | 1,110,493 | 7.15% | |
Gasoline | 3,986,246 | 25.68% | ||
Transit Bus B05 | 179,029 | 1.15% | ||
Transit Bus B10 | 5,022 | 0.03% | ||
Transit Bus B20 | 6,742 | 0.04% | ||
Transit Bus kWh | 78 | 0.00% | ||
Rail Fuel | Diesel | 60,791 | 0.39% | |
Electricity (Subways and Streetcars) | 12,816 | 0.08% | ||
Waste | Combined Organics and Yard Waste Gases | Combined Organics and Yard Waste Gases | 21,911 | 0.14% |
Landfill Gases | Landfill Gases | 1,170,376 | 7.54% | |
Wastewater Treatment Gases | Wastewater Treatment Gases | 173,141 | 1.12% |
This visual shows all the fuel types, their GHG emissions, and their percentage relative to the total community-wide GHG emission in 2022, grouped by sector, in a table.
This section details the sub-sector emissions of buildings, transportation and waste in 2022.
Community sector-based emissions have been declining since 1990 and in 2022. Toronto’s emissions were 36 per cent lower than in 1990. This an increase in five per cent from 2021 which was 41 per cent lower than 1990 levels. Additionally, while there is an overall downward trend in emissions in the sectors, it is clear that the current pace of emissions reductions is unlikely to meet the City’s 2025 emissions target.
This visual shows a breakdown of the community-wide GHG emissions in 2022 by sub-sector details within the three sectors (Buildings, Transportation and Waste) in percentages as pie charts.
Note: The following sub-sector details are not represented in the chart above because they represent less than one per cent of the community-wide transportation GHG emissions: Waste Trucks Private Landfill, Off Road Vehicles and Equipment, Waste Trucks City Owned Landfill, TTC Transit Buses (B20-BioDiesel) (Commercial Heavy Trucks BioDiesel) Litres, TTC Transit Buses (B10-BioDiesel) (Commercial Heavy Trucks BioDiesel) Litres, Marine, and Aviation.
This visual shows the community-wide GHG emissions in descending order by sub-sector details for 2022 in a bar chart.
Note: The following sub-sector details were combined into “Others”: Aviation – Billy Bishop Airport, Rail – GO Train, Waste – Organics and Yard Waste Processing Facilities, Rail – TTC Subways and Streetcars, Waste – Waste Trucks Private, Off Road – City Owned Vehicles and Equipment, On Road – TTC Buses B10, B20 and Electric, Rail – UP Express, Waste – Waste Trucks to Landfill, Marine – City Owned Marine Fleet. Refer to the table below for their exact emissions.
Buildings | Commercial and Institutional | Commercial | 3,091,670 | 19.91% |
Industrial | Industrial | 939,291 | 6.05% | |
Residential | Residential | 4,684,288 | 30.17% | |
Transportation | Aviation | Billy Bishop Airport | 74,483 | 0.48% |
Commercial Light Vehicles | Commercial Light Trucks | 472,898 | 3.05% | |
Commercial Vans and Pickups | 370,932 | 2.39% | ||
Heavy Vehicles | Commercial Heavy Trucks | 624,040 | 4.02% | |
Marine | City Owned Marine Fleet (Police, Fire Boats, and Ferries) | 1,157 | 0.01% | |
Off Road Vehicles and Equipment | Off Road Vehicles and Equipment | 7,459 | 0.05% | |
Passenger Vehicles | Passenger cars and trucks (gas proportions 50-50%)+motorcycles | 3,617,292 | 23.30% | |
Rail | Toronto Go Train | 54,302 | 0.35% | |
TTC Subway and Streetcars | 12,816 | 0.35% | ||
UP Express | 6,489 | 0.04% | ||
Transit Buses | Transit Bus B05 | 177,058 | 1.14% | |
Transit Bus B10 | 5,022 | 0.03% | ||
Transit Bus B20 | 6,742 | 0.04% | ||
Transit Bus kWh | 78 | 0.00% | ||
Waste Trucks City Owned Landfill | Waste Trucks | 5,422 | 0.03% | |
Waste Trucks Private Landfill | Waste Trucks Private | 8,134 | 0.05% | |
Waste | Landfill City Owned | Combined Organics and Yard Waste Gases | 1,017,548 | 6.55% |
Landfill Private Estimated | Landfill Private Estimated | 152,828 | 0.98% | |
Organics and Yard Waste Processing Facilities | Organics and Yard Waste Processing Facilities | 21,911 | 0.14% | |
Wastewater Treatment Plants | Wastewater Treatment Plants | 173,141 | 1.12% |
This visual shows all the sub-sector details, their GHG emissions, and their percentage relative to the total community-wide GHG emission in 2022, grouped by sector, in a table.
This section reports 2022 emissions by scope. Activities taking place within a city can generate GHG emissions that occur inside the city boundary as well as outside the city boundary. To distinguish between them they are grouped into three categories based on where they occur: scope 1, scope 2 or scope 3 emissions. We have included two visuals below.
For further information about GHG emissions by scope, please refer to the GPC Protocol.
This visual shows a breakdown of the community-wide GHG emissions by Scope 1, 2, and 3 in percentages in 2022 in a pie chart.
GHG emissions from sources located within the city boundary.
GHG emissions occurring as a consequence of the use of grid-supplied electricity, heat,
steam and/or cooling within the city boundary.
All other GHG emissions that occur outside the city boundary as a result of activities taking place within the city boundary.
This visual shows a breakdown of the community-wide GHG emissions in 2022 by sub-sector within the three scopes in percentages as pie charts.
Note: The following sub-sectors represent less than one per cent of the community-wide Scope 1 GHG emissions: Marine, Off Road Vehicles and Equipment, Rail, TTC Buses, Organics and Yard Waste Processing Facilities.
This section details the 2022 sector-based emissions broken down by sector, sub-sector and scope.
In 2022, building sector emissions were 8.7 MT representing 56 per cent of overall community-wide emissions, with most of those emissions attributable to fossil (natural) gas used for space and water heating. Transportation emissions accounted for 35 per cent of overall community-wide emissions, with most of those emissions coming from gasoline used in passenger cars and trucks. Waste sector emissions, which include emissions from landfills, organics and yard waste processing, and wastewater treatment processes, were nine per cent of overall community-wide emissions.
Buildings | Commercial and Institutional | 2,525,393 | 564,381 | 1,895 | 3,091,669 | 19.91% |
Industrial | 870,229 | 69,011 | 51 | 939,291 | 6.05% | |
Residential | 4,514,147 | 169,574 | 568 | 4,684,289 | 30.17% | |
Transportation | Aviation | 74,483 | 74,483 | 0.48% | ||
Marine | 1,157 | 1,157 | 0.01% | |||
Off Road Vehicles and Equipment | 4,405 | 3,054 | 7,459 | 0.05% | ||
On Road | 5,085,161 | 5,085,161 | 32.75% | |||
Rail | 60,791 | 12,816 | 73,607 | 0.47% | ||
Transit Bus B05 | 177,058 | 177,058 | 1.14% | |||
Transit Bus B10 | 5,022 | 5,022 | 0.03% | |||
Transit Bus B20 | 6,742 | 6,742 | 0.04% | |||
Transit Bus kWh | 78 | 78 | 0.00% | |||
Waste Trucks | 5,422 | 5,422 | 0.03% | |||
Waste Trucks Private | 8,134 | 8,134 | 0.05% | |||
Waste | Landfill City Owned | 169,398 | 848,150 | 1,017,548 | 6.55% | |
Landfill Private Estimated | 152,828 | 152,828 | 0.98% | |||
Organics and Yard Waste Processing Facilities | 2,355 | 19,556 | 21,911 | 0.14% | ||
Wastewater Treatment Plants | 173,141 | 173,141 | 1.12% | |||
Grand Total | 13,669,482 | 815,860 | 1,039,658 | 15,525,000 | 100% |
This visual shows all the sub-sectors, scopes, their GHG emissions, and their percentage relative to the total community-wide GHG emission in 2022, grouped by sector, in a table.
This section focuses only on the City’s corporate emissions, which are captured as part of the community-wide Sector-Based Emissions Inventory, but are also displayed separately. The City of Toronto’s corporate (or local government) emissions are calculated based on the energy used in all municipal buildings (such as offices, community recreation centres, Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) housing), vehicle fleets including Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) transit vehicles, waste, water supply and wastewater treatment, as well as streetlights.
In 2022, corporate emissions were 0.83 MT, which was about five per cent of Toronto’s community-wide emissions. The City’s corporate emissions increased by four per cent from 2021 but remained a stable share of community-wide emissions between 2021 and 2022. The largest source of corporate emissions was buildings, which contributed 37 per cent, followed by transportation at 32 per cent, water and wastewater at 27 per cent and waste emissions at 4 per cent.
This visual shows a breakdown of the corporate GHG emissions by sector in percentages in 2022 in a pie chart.
Note: The following sector are not represented in the chart above because they represent less than one per cent of corporate GHG emissions: Streetlights and Traffic Signals.
Buildings | 307,702 | 37% |
Transportation | 263,483 | 32% |
Waste | 29,555 | 4% |
Water and Wastewater | 227,002 | 27% |
Streetlights and Traffic Signals | 4,111 | 0.0% |
Grand Total | 831,853 | 100.0% |
This visual shows the year-over-year corporate GHG emission from 2008 to 2022 for each sector in a bar chart.
This visual shows the corporate GHG emissions in descending order by sub-sectors for 2022 in a bar chart.
Note: The following sub-sectors were combined into “Streetlights and Traffic Signals”: Streetlights, Signal Lights, and Bike Path Lighting. Refer to the table below for their exact emissions.
Buildings | Social Housing | 165.60 | 19.90% |
Office, Public Use and Yards | 142.10 | 17.07% | |
Streetlights and Traffic Signals | Streetlights | 4.06 | 0.49% |
Signal Lights | 0.47 | 0.06% | |
Bike Path Lighting | 0.002 | 0.00% | |
Transportation | Marine | 1.16 | 0.14% |
Off Road | 4.40 | 0.53% | |
On Road | 50.78 | 6.10% | |
TTC Buses | 188.90 | 22.70% | |
TTC Subway and Streetcar | 12.82 | 1.54% | |
Waste Trucks to Landfill | 5.42 | 0.65% | |
Waste | Scope 3 Landfill | 7.64 | 0.92% |
Organics and Yard Waste | 21.91 | 2.63% | |
Water and Wastewater | Wastewater Generated and Treated | 173.14 | 20.80% |
Office, Public Use and Yards | 53.86 | 6.47% |
This visual shows all the sub-sectors, their GHG emissions, and their percentage relative to the total corporate GHG emission in 2022, grouped by sector, in a table.
This visual shows the annual corporate GHG emissions from 2008 to 2022 in a line chart.