Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator - Calculations and References

This page describes the calculations used to convert greenhouse gas emission numbers into different types of equivalent units. Go to the equivalency calculator page for more information.

Passenger vehicles per year

A passenger vehicle (or light duty vehicle) is defined as a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,856 kilograms (8,500 lbs) (EPA 2017).

Emissions

In order to determine the CO2 equivalent emissions per vehicle, two elements were considered: the total amount of CO2 equivalent emissions attributed to passenger light duty vehicles, and the estimated stock of these vehicles.

In 2016, the most recent year for which statistical data is available, the total amount of GHG emissions for passenger light duty vehicles was 72.1 Mt (NRCAN 2016) and the estimated stock was 22.089 million vehicles (NRCAN 2016a).

Energy

In order to determine the equivalent amount of energy used per vehicle, the following elements were considered: the average fuel consumption per vehicle, the estimated energy used by a light-duty vehicle per litre of gasoline, and the average distance travelled in a year.

In 2016, the most recent year for which statistical data is available, the light duty vehicle average fuel consumption (excluding commercial vehicles) was 9.2201 L/ 100 km, and the average distance travelled was 15,021 km (NRCAN 2016a).

According to Statistics Canada's Report on Energy Supply and Demand in Canada (RESD 2018), the estimated energy used by a light duty vehicle is 35.00 MJ per litre of gasoline.

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

72.1 Mt / 22,088,845 vehicles × 1,000,000 metric tons/Mt = 3.26 Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per vehicle per year

Energy

15,021 km/vehicle × 9.2201 L consumed / 100 km × 35.00 MJ/L × 1 GJ/1,000 MJ = 48.47 GJ per vehicle per year

Litres of gasoline combusted

In order to obtain conversion factors for litres of gasoline combusted, light-duty vehicle data is used. A light duty vehicle is defined as a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,856 kilograms (8,500 lbs) (EPA 2017).

Emissions

To determine the number of metric tons of CO2 equivalent emitted per litre of gasoline combusted, the factors considered were the total amount of CO2 equivalent emissions attributed to passenger light duty vehicles, the total estimated distance travelled by these vehicles in a year, and their average fuel consumption.

In 2016, the most recent year for which statistical data is available, the following estimates were gathered:

  • the estimated number of cars and light trucks was 12.856 million and 9.233 million respectively (NRCAN 2016).
  • the average distance travelled by cars and light trucks was 14,675 and 15,502 km respectively (NRCAN 2016).
  • the average fuel consumption of cars and light trucks was 8.0537 and 10.8441 L/100 km respectively (NRCAN 2016).
  • the total amount of GHG emissions for passenger light duty vehicles was 72.1 Mt (NRCAN 2016a)

Energy

The energy used by a light-duty vehicle is estimated to be 35.00 MJ per litre of fuel combusted (RESD 2018).

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

The total estimated number of litres of gasoline combusted is estimated to be

(12,855,742 cars × 14,675 km/year × 8.0537 L/100 km) + (9,233,103 light trucks × 15,502 km/year × 10.8441 L/100 km) = 3.0715 × 1010 litres

From which the estimated amount of CO2 equivalent emissions is

72.1 Mt / (3.0715 × 1010 litres) × 1,000,000 metric tons/Mt = 0.002347 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per litre of gasoline combusted

Energy

35.00 MJ per litre of gasoline combusted × 1 GJ/1,000 MJ = 0.035 GJ per litre of gasoline combusted

Tanker trucks filled with gasoline

In order to obtain conversion factors for litres of motor gasoline combusted, light-duty vehicle data is used. A light duty vehicle is defined as a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,856 kilograms (8,500 lbs) (EPA 2017).

Since gasoline tanker trucks have capacities ranging from 20,800 to 43,900 litres (WIKIPEDIA), for calculation purposes, an average of this range will be used so that a typical gasoline tanker truck will be assumed to contain 32,350 litres.

Emissions

Referring to the previous tab for calculations for litres of gasoline combusted, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per litre of motor gasoline is 0.002347 metric tons per litre.

Energy

Referring to the previous tab for calculations for litres of gasoline combusted, the energy used per litre of motor gasoline combusted is 35.00 MJ.

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

0.002347 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per litre × 32,350 litres/tanker truck = 75.9379 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions/tanker truck

Energy

0.035 GJ per litre of gasoline combusted × 32,350 litres/tanker truck = 1,132.25 GJ/tanker truck

Home energy use

The general term "household" refers to a person or group of persons who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad. For census purposes, households are classified into three groups: private households, collective households (both domestic and foreign households living in commercial, institutional or communal dwellings, such as a hotel, a hospital or a work camp), and households outside Canada. The number of households used in our calculation here includes only the private households.

In 2016, the latest year for which statistical data is available, the total number of households was 14,309,000 (NRCAN 2016).

Emissions

In 2016, the total GHG emissions (including electricity) of the residential sector was 61.1 MT of CO2 equivalent (NRCAN 2016), resulting in a GHG intensity of 41.9 tonnes/TJ or approximately 4.3 tonnes/household.

Energy

To compute the total household energy use, we consider the total household consumption of electricity, natural gas, heating oil, wood, and any other fuel used for heating such as coal and propane. In 2016, the total energy use of the residential sector was 1458.2 PJ (NRCAN 2016), resulting in an energy intensity equal to approximately 101.9 GJ/household or 28.3 MWh/household.

Note: for energy calculation purposes, gigajoules are sometimes represented in megawatt-hours. In such cases, the conversion factor used is 0.2778 MWh/GJ.

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

61.1 MT of CO2 equivalent × 1,000,000 metric tonnes/MT / 14,309,000 households = 4.2700 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions/household

Energy

1458.2 PJ × 1,000,000 GJ/PJ / 14,309,000 households = 101.908 GJ/household

Home electricity use

The general term "household" refers to a person or group of persons who occupy the same dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada or abroad. For census purposes, households are classified into three groups: private households, collective households (both domestic and foreign households living in commercial, institutional or communal dwellings, such as a hotel, a hospital or a work camp), and households outside Canada. The number of households used in our calculation here includes only the private households.

In 2016, the latest year for which statistical data is available, the total number of households was 14,309,000 (NRCAN 2016)

Emissions

In 2016, the total GHG emissions of the residential sector attributed to electricity alone was 21.4 MT of CO2 equivalent (NRCAN 2016), resulting in a GHG intensity of approximately 1.5 tonne/household.

Energy

In 2016, the total electricity consumption of the residential sector was 591 PJ or 164.2 TWh and the then total number of households was 14,309,000 (NRCAN 2016), resulting in an energy intensity equal to approximately 41.3 GJ/household or 11.5 MWh/household.

Note: for energy calculation purposes, gigajoules are sometimes represented in megawatt-hours. In such cases, the conversion factor used is 0.2778 MWh/GJ

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

21.4 MT of CO2 equivalent × 1,000,000 metric tonnes/MT / 14,309,000 households = 1.4956 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions/household

Energy

591.0 PJ × 1,000,000 GJ/PJ / 14,309,000 households = 41.3027 GJ/household

Barrels of oil consumed

Carbon dioxide emissions per barrel of crude oil are determined by multiplying heat content times the carbon coefficient times the fraction oxidized times the ratio of the molecular weight of carbon dioxide to that of carbon (44/12).

In Canada, the average heat content of crude oil is 39.44 TJ per megalitre in 2015 (RESD 2017), which translates into 6.270 GJ or 5.943 MMBTU per barrel. The average carbon coefficient of crude oil is 20.31 kg carbon per MMBTU (EPA 2017). The fraction oxidized is 100 percent (IPCC 2006).

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

39.44 TJ/ML × 1 ML/1,000,000 L × 3.78541 L/US gal × 42 US gal/barrel × 20.31 kg C/MMBTU × 1 MMBTU/1.05506 GJ × 44 kg CO2/12 kg C × 1000 GJ/TJ × 1 metric ton CO2/1,000 kg CO2 = 0.4426 metric tons CO2/barrel

Energy

39.44 TJ/ML × 1 ML/1,000,000 L × 3.78541 L/US gal × 42 US gal/barrel × 1000 GJ/TJ = 6.27046 GJ/barrel

Propane cylinders used for home barbecues

Emissions

In the Report on Energy Supply and Demand in Canada (RESD 2017) published by Statistics Canada in 2017, the approximate weight of one cubic metre of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is 507.5 kg/m3. The emission factor published in Canada's Emission Trends for LPG by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC 2017) is at 60.61 g/MJ. Though propane cylinders vary with respect to size, for the purpose of this equivalency calculation, a typical cylinder for home use is assumed to contain 8 kg of propane.

Energy

According to the RESD (RESD 2017a), one megalitre of propane contains the equivalent heat of 25.31 TJ.

Note: Due to rounding, performing the calculations given in the equations below may not return the exact results shown.

Emissions

0.40 GJ/cylinder of propane × 1,000 MJ/GJ × 60.61 g/MJ × 1 metric ton/1,000,000 g = 0.024 metric ton of CO2/cylinder of propane

Energy

25.31 TJ/ML × 1 ML/1,000,000 litre × 1,000 litre/m3 / 507.5 kg/m3 × 1,000 GJ/TJ × 8 kg/cylinder of propane = 0.40 GJ/cylinder of propane