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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Conference Board of Canada Weighs in on Green House Gases

A new report by the Conference Board of Canada is recommending several changes to reduce theย  greenhouse gas emissions from trucks โ€“ including an actual cut in truck travel.

The recommendations come at a time when freight transport makes up 10.5% of Canadaโ€™s total emissions, and trucks accounting for 83% of that.

โ€œNo single technology, regulation, or program will be the โ€˜magic bulletโ€™ to lower emissions from the transportation of goods. Instead, it will require commitment and coordination across all levels of government in all jurisdictions, as well as changes to consumer behaviour,โ€ said Glen Hodgson, senior fellow at the Conference Board of Canada.

A related release also promotes rail as a more environmentally and cost-effective way to move freight, noting that a truck produces three times as many greenhouse gas emissions as shipping the same goods by rail โ€“ but also recognizes a big limitation to iron highways. โ€œDespite rail being more environmentally friendly and cost-effective than trucking, road freight continues to be a crucial and growing part of the transportation system as it does not require additional methods of delivery to get the goods or commodities to their final destination,โ€ it says.

Recommendations include promoting and implementing systems where road, rail, and marine work together to reduce the emissions.

The report also encourages adopting established fuel-saving technologies, but recognizes uncertainties about the return on investment, performance, and capital costs, all of which have limited widespread adoption. Not only that, but it calls for more โ€œdisruptive and emerging technologiesโ€ like zero-emission and driverless trucks.

โ€œPrevious Conference Board research estimates that electric trucks could reduce emissions from freight transportation by up to 17% from 2020 to 2050, and by close to 6% from driverless trucks. However, there remains considerable uncertainty around the timeline for getting these vehicles on the road and ongoing labor concerns,โ€ the board says.

Revenue from carbon taxes could help support investments, it adds, but cites research suggesting that more than $2 trillion would be needed to cut the emissions sharply.

Looking to provinces, the board calls for harmonized regulations around fuel standards, vehicle dimensions, and weights to better promote fuel-saving technologies.

The report comes as the Conference Board of Canada prepares to host its Reshaping Energy conference in Ottawa, scheduled for May 28-29.