Canada gets a “C” grade on environmental report card

Canada has received “C” grade on a new environmental report card, ranking low on the list of other major developed countries, above only the United States and Australia.

Canada ranked 15th out of 17 countries on The Conference Board of Canada’s How Canada Performs—Environment report card, the same as 2009.

France, Norway and Sweden made the top three on the list, each receiving an “A” grade on their environmental prowess.

Our poor results are mainly due to overconsumption, the board says. Canada throws away more garbage per capita than any other country in the developed world, and the population uses energy and water heavily, the report suggests. Water withdrawals alone are nearly double the average of the other countries, it says.

In 2009, Canada had 777 kg of municipal waste per capita, while the average of the 17 listed countries as 578 kg. Most of that waste went to landfills or incinerators, the report says.

Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions for 2010 also received a “D” grade, which the board attributes in part to increased exports of natural resources., Canada also emits higher levels per capita of nitrogen oxides,sulphur oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), although our air quality did improve between 1990 and 2009. 

“Our large land mass, cold climate and resource-intensive economy make us less likely to rank highly on some indicators of environmental sustainability, but many of our poor results are based on our inefficient use of our resources,” Len Coad, Director of Energy, Environment and Technology Policy at the Conference Board noted.

“Canada must promote economic growth without further degrading the environment. Encouraging more sustainable consumption is crucial to achieve that objective.”

Canada, the U.S. and Australia are similar in terms of large land area, and they are the most resource-intensive economies in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the board suggests.

It’s not all bad, though. Canadian forests are generally well-protected and well-managed, the board notes. “Air quality has improved modestly, energy use per person is down and water quality is still high,” it adds.

Canada also gets an “A” grade for the small proportion of all species that are designated “threatened species.”

Charts courtesy of Conference Board of Canada.