INTRODUCTION
Starting with Data Years 2020 and 2021, IMPLAN releases Environmental data in conjunction with the annual release of the Canada Provincial Product. The environmental data show Environmental Output (estimates of physical emissions, pollutants, or input use) by Industry and Region. Driving these estimates are ratios of physical emissions or inputs per dollar of Industry Output, which are updated annually in Canada Provincial models (the Environmental Release Year). IMPLAN applies these ratios to Output by Industry Region Data and Impact Results to generate estimates of physical emissions, pollutants, or input use.
There are two different ways of viewing the Canada Environmental Data in the application: Region Details and Project Results.
- Region Environmental Data provides insights into the model Region’s current levels of environmental emissions and inputs by Industry and type of pollutant or input for the given Data Year.
- Environmental Impacts provide estimates of the environmental impacts by Industry and type of pollutant or input associated with a specific analysis.
Both the Region and Impact Environmental Data are available in summary format (grouped by 8 broad Environmental Categories) or in detailed format (by each pollutant, emission, or input within each of the 8 broader Environmental Categories).
DATA OVERVIEW
The Canada Environmental data is grouped into 8 broad Environmental Categories:
- Air Releases
- Disposals
- Greenhouse Gases
- Mineral Extraction
- Point Source Releases to Ground
- Point Source Releases to Water
- Transfers
- Water Withdrawals
Within each Environmental Category, detailed data is also available for each pollutant, emission, or input as defined by the Environment Name. This detailed data is available in both Region Environmental Data and Environmental Impacts.
Data is available for more than 200 substances, more than 35 minerals, and 18 greenhouse gases, with the unit of measurement varying depending on the data element of interest. For example, within the broad category of Air Releases, the releases are reported in the following units and correspond to the following pollutants/emissions:
- g_teq_et: grams of Toxic Equivalent (TEQ)
- This unit applies only to the toxic chemicals commonly known as dioxins and furans. It is a unit that measures the toxicity of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds.
- grams: grams
- This unit applies only to the chemical compound Hexachlorobenzene.
- kg: kilograms
- This applies to many elements and their compounds including Lead, Arsenic, Acenaphthylene, and many others.
- tonnes: metric ton
- This applies to many elements and their compounds including Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and various types of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
For a complete list of pollutants, emissions, and inputs (and their units of measurement) included in each Canada Environmental release, please see the corresponding release notes.
HOW TO ACCESS ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
There are two main areas where Canada Environmental Data can be accessed in IMPLAN: The Region Environmental Data can be found in the Region Details section, while the Environmental Impacts can be found in the Project Results section.
To access the Canada Environmental data in the Region Details, click the Environmental tab, then select one of the tables. Each table is described in more detail below.
To access the Canada Environmental data in the Results, click the Environmental tab, then select one of the tables. Each table is described in more detail below.
REGION ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
Region Environmental Data in Region Details provides insights into the model region’s Environmental Output by Industry and type of pollutant or input (by Environment Category or Environment Name). It is derived from national-level ratios of physical emissions or inputs per dollar of Industry Output, the composition of Industries in the Region, and the Region’s Output by Industry in a given Data Year.
This data can provide powerful insights outside of impact modeling. For example, Region Environmental Data can help a region more fully understand the economic and environmental tradeoffs associated with a given industry. Or, at a more granular level, this data can help a company compare its emissions to the Industry-average in that region.
There are two tables that provide regional Environmental Data: (1) Region Environmental Summary and (2) Region Environmental Details.
REGION ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMARY
The Region Environmental Summary table contains estimates of input use or emissions by Industry within the region for each of the 8 broad categories listed above. All elements are reported, so some broad categories are reported by more than one unit to accord with the various pollutants, emissions, or inputs reflected in the data.
So, for example, Air Releases are reported by the 4 different units listed in the section above. To see which detailed environmental data element is contained within each Environmental Category and unit of measurement, navigate to Region Environmental Details described in the next section or see the corresponding release notes.
REGION ENVIRONMENTAL DETAILS
The default Region Environmental Details table shows the Units per $ of Output and total Environmental Output for each detailed environmental data element for all Industries in the region. This is available for all 8 broad Environmental Categories.
The data elements in this table include:
- Environment name: the detailed Environmental Category (e.g. name of the pollutant, mineral, or other Environmental Category).
- Environment context: a set of environmental compartments that describe the flow origin or destination (e.g. the contexts for Air Releases are Stack Emissions, Storage/Handling, Fugitive Emissions, Spills, and Other).
- Units per $ of Output: the unit of measurement used for each detailed environmental category (e.g. Dioxins and furans in the broad Air Releases Environmental Category are measured in grams of Toxic Equivalent (g_teq_et).
- Environmental Output: the total physical emissions or inputs for each detailed Environmental Category.
Users can also filter by Industry to display the Units per $ of Output and total Environmental Output for all detailed Environmental Categories for a given Industry in the region.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Environmental Impacts provide estimates of the environmental impacts by Industry and type of pollutant or input (Environmental Category or Environment Name) associated with a specific analysis. By default, it will include the Direct, Indirect, Induced, and Total Environmental impacts. IMPLAN produces Environmental Impact Results based on the Output Effects in each Industry from an analysis and the ratio of Environment Unit Value per dollar of Output in each Industry.
There are two tables that provide Environmental Impacts: (1) Impact Summary and (2) Impact Industry Details.
IMPACT SUMMARY
The Environmental Impact Summary table displays estimates of input use or emissions associated with the impact or contribution analyzed. These are displayed by Industry for each of the 8 broad Environmental Categories. Like the Region Environmental Summary table, the 8 broad Environmental Categories are measured in different units depending on the pollutant, emission, or input reflected in the data.
Users can filter to limit results to a specific Region, Impact type, Group, Event, Event Tag, Environment Name, or Industry.
IMPACT INDUSTRY DETAILS
The default Environmental Impact Industry Details table shows the Units per $ of Output and total Environmental Output associated with the impact or contribution analyzed. These are displayed by detailed Environment Name within a given Environmental Category for all Industries in the region, combined. This is available for all 8 broad Environmental Categories.
The detailed format also includes information about the Environment Context, or the compartment that describes the flow origin. For example, the contexts associated with Air Releases include Stack Emissions, Storage/Handling, Fugitive Emission, Spills, and Other.
Again, users can filter to limit results to a specific Region, Impact type, Group, Event, Event Tag, Environment Name, Environment Category, or Industry.
DATA SOURCES
The physical emission, pollutant, or input use data in IMPLAN’s Canada Environmental Data come from several different data sources, including Statistics Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and OpenIO-Canada. This data is reported in the format of physical quantities (tonnes, kg, etc.) and is reported at the national level. IMPLAN allocates the physical emission or input data to Industries, develops ratios of physical emissions or inputs per dollar of Industry Output (using the corresponding data year of the economic data), and applies those ratios to Region Data and Impact Results to generate estimates of Environmental Output.
IMPLAN’s Canada Environmental Data are released annually in conjunction with the Canada Provincial Product, with each Environmental Release Year labeled in accordance with the year from which the raw environmental data originate1.
Read more about the data sources and methods in Canada Environmental Data Sources and Methods.
CONSIDERATIONS
The basic assumption under which all estimates of Environmental Output data rely on, is that there is a linear relationship between emissions, pollutants, and input use and Industry Output.
As mentioned previously, starting in Data Year 2020, ratios of physical emissions or inputs per dollar of Industry Output are developed annually. This is reflected by the Environmental Release Year. Best practices would suggest using the Environmental Release Year that corresponds with Data Year of the economic data. However, it is possible to apply ratios from one Environmental Release Year to economic data from a different Data Year (e.g. apply the environmental ratios from Environmental Release Year 2020 to economic data from Data Year 2019). Note, however, that the relationship between values and quantities may vary, so the further the time horizon between the Environmental Release Year and the Data Year, the more important these considerations become.
Note also that the ratios of physical emissions or inputs per dollar of Industry Output are derived using national-level emission and input data and Industry Output data. If using a provincial-level model, national-level ratios are applied to provincial-level Industry Region Data and Impact Results to generate estimates of physical emissions, pollutants, or input use.
In relation to pollutant releases (Air Releases, Point Source Releases to Ground, and Point Source Release to Water) as well as Disposals and Transfers for recycling, please note that each substance is reported separately, and some substances are subsets of others. Refer to the raw data source, the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), for more information about the appropriate use of the data (see the “Using our data” tab).
When applying emissions coefficients to IMPLAN economic impact results, the emissions will only be those generated in the study area (or in areas linked via MRIO); they will not include emissions generated in other regions not linked via MRIO. For example, inputs that are purchased from outside the study area will generate emissions in the region where the inputs are produced; if those regions are not included in the study area or linked via MRIO, those emissions will not be accounted for in the analysis.
Weather patterns that distribute emissions from one region to another are not accounted for.
Any emissions generated directly by households (i.e., not accounted for by household expenditure on electricity and not associated with the production of other items purchased by households; for example, emissions generated by households’ burning of wood in a wood-fired stove in the home) are not included in the IMPLAN emissions data set. What this means is that all induced emissions in IMPLAN stem from household purchases – of energy and of goods and services, all of which require energy to produce and thus create emissions. Any additional emissions generated directly by the household – i.e., not associated with a purchase of energy, goods, or services – will not be accounted for.
Emissions/resource use totals cannot be calculated by running an impact with 100% in all sectors because of shared emissions totals across industries. This would cause a vast overestimation of environmental releases.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Canadian System of Environmental-Economic Accounts
National Pollutant Release Inventory
RELATED ARTICLES
2020/2021 Canada Environmental Release Notes
Canada Environmental Data Sources and Methods
1The one exception to this is Water Use data (in which raw data is released every other year and ratios are developed using the most recent water use data).
Written February 27, 2025