Decarbonization of off-road transport

The Canadian Energy Outlook project describes and analyzes the transformations required to energy services in order to meet net-zero objectives in Canada, where these services are strongly associated with quality of life and standards of living, from transportation of people and goods, to heating and cooling buildings. Following on from the two main reports, The State of the Energy and GHG Emissions in Canada and Pathways for a Net-Zero Canada, this publication, titled The Decarbonization of Off-Road Transport in Net-Zero Pathways, is the first thematic report in the 3rd edition of the Outlook.

The decarbonization of the Canadian economy to achieve the net-zero objective by 2050 requires rapid and profound transformations in all emissions sources. In efforts to accelerate decarbonization and the implementation of net-zero pathways for Canada as a whole, off-road transport has so far largely fallen between the cracks, despite being projected to become transport’s main source of emissions in 2050. Part of this is due to the fact that the exact services provided in the off-road category vary substantially, from very large machinery in quarries to handheld leaf blowers. This report intends to serve as a background paper for discussions on strategies to decarbonize off-road transport in Canada in order to and make this sector a key contributor to a net-zero pathway.