Clean Growth in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining economic growth, primarily through electricity sector decarbonization and energy efficiency. However, the province faces challenges including high rural unemployment, a continued reliance on fossil fuels for heating and transport, and air quality issues in rural areas.

• Between 2005 and 2018, Nova Scotia achieved a 26% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while its GDP increased by 14% and employment grew by 3%.
• The province significantly reduced its reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production, with coal's share dropping from 76% in 2007 to 52% in 2018, while wind energy rose from 1% to 12% in the same period.
• Energy efficiency measures reduce GHG emissions by 1 million tonnes annually, representing approximately 6% of the province's total 2018 emissions.
• The environmental and clean technology (ETP) sector is a growing economic driver, with GDP in this sector increasing by 31% and employment by 27% between 2012 and 2018, outpacing national growth rates.
• Nova Scotia faces structural unemployment in rural areas and Indigenous communities; for example, the Eskasoni First Nation had the province's highest unemployment rate at 26% in 2016.
• Despite ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 53% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050, the transport sector remains a challenge, with electric vehicle sales accounting for only 0.03% of annual vehicle sales compared to 3.5% nationally.
• Energy affordability is a significant burden for Nova Scotians, with lower-middle-class households spending 60% more of their budget on energy than the Canadian average.
• Air pollution remains a health risk in rural areas, with some municipalities recording tropospheric ozone and fine particulate levels similar to or higher than those in Toronto or Halifax.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2020). Clean Growth in Nova Scotia. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/clean-growth-in-nova-scotia/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Clean Growth in Nova Scotia. 2020. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/clean-growth-in-nova-scotia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Clean Growth in Nova Scotia |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/clean-growth-in-nova-scotia/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2020clean, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Clean Growth in Nova Scotia}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/clean-growth-in-nova-scotia/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }