About Climate Change

Climate change is a shift in long-term weather patterns -- everything from temperatures to wind and precipitation. Most scientists agree that climate change is underway around the world due to a combination of factors, including greenhouse gases (GHGs).

GHG’s are both natural and man-made gases that absorb energy from the sun, trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the Earth’s surface. We need a stable level of GHG’s in our atmosphere to keep the Earth warm enough to live on. However, the concern is that rising levels of GHG’s are absorbing more heat and changing our climate. Some of the artificial gases can take years to leave the atmosphere.

That’s why Canada and many other nations have committed to reducing GHG emissions by 20% from 2006 levels by the year 2020. However, more of these gasses, not less, are being produced every year in Canada. The frightening projections for the next century indicate that the planet is likely to warm at a rate that has never been experienced in human history.¹

(For more about climate change effects in Canada, visit the website of Natural Resources Canada).

Carbon Footprints

Burning most fuels used in the world today, from coal to wood, oil, gasoline and natural gas, produces various kinds of carbon that contribute to global warming as GHG’s. That’s why environmentally conscious people and organizations are trying to reduce their ‘carbon footprint’ – the amount of carbon-based emissions they create through their businesses and lives.

The carbon footprint of propane is lower than many other fuels, including some renewable fuels, as demonstrated by a recent study by the U.S. Propane Education and Research Council.²

In addition to GHG emissions, another factor that impacts the carbon footprint of a fuel is how it behaves in the atmosphere. Although natural gas (also known as methane) generates fewer CO2 emissions per BTU than propane when burned, natural gas is itself a greenhouse gas. One pound of methane released into the atmosphere produces the same effect on climate change as 25 pounds of carbon dioxide!³

Propane, on the other hand, is not a greenhouse gas when released. The difference is in how quickly propane, compared to natural gas, can be removed from the air by natural oxidation or precipitation - propane is removed from the atmosphere faster than it takes for it to have an impact on the climate.⁴

Propane is abundant in Canada, with infrastructure already in place, and the ability to quickly and cost-effectively install additional infrastructure as needed to service specific fleets. With the advantage of its low-carbon impact, no other alternative transportation fuel is as ready and able to assist in meeting the challenge of addressing climate change and air quality concerns in Canada.

How Propane Fights Climate Change

With a majority of scientists agreeing that greenhouse gasses are at least partially responsible for climate change, efforts are underway around the world to find practical ways of reducing GHG emissions without sacrificing economic prosperity or quality of life. This is where propane, with its tiny carbon footprint and high efficiency, can play a major role.

The evidence is clear; three recent international studies* have found that propane is already helping cut the amount of GHG’s going into our atmosphere in many ways:

• Cooking: In many parts of the world, propane is the lowest carbon-emitting fuel available for cooking. In India, for example, cooking with propane emits 60% less GHG’s than using electricity, and up to 50% less than using biomass (e.g. wood, crop waste) stoves. Switching to propane reduces the emissions of soot, or black carbon, that is the second most important contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.
• Power Generation: It’s long been known that propane emits less than half the greenhouse gas emissions, kilowatt for kilowatt, than coal-fired power plants. The new studies also found propane out-performs diesel- and natural gas-fuelled generators as well. Whether used in large generators for distributed power or smaller units for single homes, LP gas was found to have a much smaller environmental impact.
• Residential Heating: Around the world, independent studies have shown propane’s edge when it comes to heating homes while producing fewer GHG’s. Europeans who choose propane over fuel oil reduce their carbon footprint by 15%. Consumers who replace electricity with propane see even more dramatic results – from 30% lower GHG emissions in South America to 54% lower in North America.
• Water Heating: Around the world, in every area studied, propane was the most efficient fuel for domestic water heating. There were dramatic differences in the emissions of GHG’s when propane technology was used to replace traditional electrical water tanks – 14% lower emissions in South America, 35% lower in North America and more than 50% in India.

These studies fit in with the previous strong evidence that propane can be a powerful weapon in the battle against climate change. Because propane contains a relatively small amount of carbon, and because it burns so cleanly and produces power so efficiently, its total carbon footprint is remarkably low. Whether you look at the total emissions or the rate of emissions compared to power produced, propane stands above other fuels (even many renewable fuels).⁵

* The studies, based on existing scientific research and independent studies by leading experts around the world, can be found on the World LP Gas Association website at www.worldlpgas.com.

Transportation: The Key to Fighting Climate Change

One of the most striking contrasts between propane and other fuels can be found in transportation uses. Dedicated propane vehicles emit up to 27% fewer greenhouse gasses than gasoline-powered vehicles, not to mention far lower emissions of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide.⁶

This is very important to fighting climate change, since Natural Resources Canada reports⁷ that the transportation sector is our single biggest contributor to both air pollution and GHG levels. Canada will not meet its commitment to reducing its GHG emissions without big reductions in emissions from our cars and trucks.

As shown in the graph below, every 5 years, with the exception of 1990-1995, the transportation sector has and is projected to increase its GHG emissions by a higher percentage than all sectors combined.⁸ This creates a challenge for Canada as we strive to meet our commitment to a 20 percent reduction in GHG levels by 2020, over 2006 levels.

Fortunately, widely available and safe propane is ready to help meet that challenge. There is already a wide network of propane fuelling stations across the country with more infrastructures being added every year. Propane vehicles are already serving a broad variety of purposes, from taxis to delivery and service vehicles, and companies that make the switch are saving money, as well as helping to save the environment.

For more detailed information on the environmental and economic advantages of propane vehicles, visit the ‘Transportation’ pages, located HERE, and the ‘Auto Propane’ section of our website, located HERE.

Environment Home Page

¹ Source: NR Can Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/101/cc_e.php
² Source: PERC Fact Sheet http://www.usepropane.com/climate/perc_general_factsheet.pdf
³ Source: PERC, Propane Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Comparative Analysis, 2007
⁴ Source: PERC, Propane Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Comparative Analysis
⁵ Source: Propane Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Comparative Analysis, Energetic Inc., Washington, D.C. (Docket 12294)
⁶ Source: WLPGA, LP Gas and Climate Change: Targeting the Switch to a Cleaner Fuel 2005, Executive Summary
⁷ Source: NR Can http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/vehicle-fuels.cfm
⁸ Source Environment Canada Canada’s Energy & GHG Emissions Projections March 2008 http://www.ec.gc.ca/doc/virage-corner/2008-03/pdf/nat_eng.pdf