Clean Transportation Energy

Transportation plays a key role in Canadian society, being critical for accessing services, as well as contributing to economic growth and social cohesion through the efficient movement of people and goods. With over 1,000,000 kilometers of paved roads, a railroad system of over 48,000 kilometres, more than 1,300 airports and some 4,000 kilometres of navigable waterways, Canada's transportation system supports inter-provincial and international trade and tourism, connecting the country from coast to coast and with our major trading partner - the United States. With these impressive statistics in mind, it is no surprise that transportation represents one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, accounting for 22.3% of Canada's total emissions in 2004 (169 Mt).

Criteria Air Contaminants (CACs) are another major concern for the environment as they pose considerable air quality issues that affect human health and contribute to air pollution problems such as smog and acid rain. The Transportation sector is a major contributor to the pollutants that are adversely affecting our environment. In 2005, transportation, mainly off-road vehicles, produced by far the most nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) and produced large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when compared to other sources in Canada.

The Office of Energy R&D provides funding to advance the research, development and demonstration activities for advanced vehicle technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, emission reduction technologies and advanced fuels.

CanmetENERGY is the Canadian leader in clean energy research and technology development. It manages science and technology programs and services, supports the development of energy policy, codes and regulations, acts as a window to federal financing and works with partners to develop more energy efficient and cleaner technologies. CanmetENERGY > Transportation.