The State of the World's Forests 2022

The report finds that Canada's comprehensive wealth grew by only 7 per cent per person between 1980 and 2013, a rate significantly lower than the 54 per cent growth in individual consumption over the same period. While Canada remains the wealthiest G7 nation per capita, it has the lowest growth rate in comprehensive wealth among that group. The analysis reveals a stark decline in market natural capital, stagnant human capital, and produced capital growth that is dangerously concentrated in housing and oil and gas extraction. The document advocates for the federal government to fund Statistics Canada to regularly report comprehensive wealth measures to guide a transition toward a low-carbon, diversified economy.

• Canada's comprehensive wealth grew by only 7 per cent per person in real terms from 1980 to 2013, representing an annualized growth rate of 0.19 per cent. This growth was significantly outpaced by average individual consumption, which grew by 54 per cent (1.36 per cent per year) during the same period.
• Market natural capital, comprising minerals, fossil fuels, timber, and agricultural land, declined by 25 per cent per person between 1980 and 2013 due to physical depletion and market changes.
• Human capital, which constitutes 80 per cent of Canada's comprehensive wealth, showed 0 per cent growth between 1980 and 2013, indicating that the average worker's lifetime earning potential remained unchanged despite more graduates receiving diplomas.
• Produced capital grew by 73 per cent per person (1.68 per cent annually), but this growth was highly concentrated, with approximately 70 per cent resulting from the oil and gas extraction industry and housing.
• According to United Nations data, Canada ranks first among G7 nations for the level of comprehensive wealth per capita but ranks last among G7 members for the growth rate of that wealth.
• Non-monetary indicators show a decline in several ecosystem and climate markers: forest area and grasslands declined between 2000 and 2011, and sea ice extent declined from 1968 to 2010. Additionally, Canada ranked 31st out of 34 OECD member states for greenhouse gas productivity in 2013.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2022). The State of the World's Forests 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/comprehensive-wealth-highlights-en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. The State of the World's Forests 2022. 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/comprehensive-wealth-highlights-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=The State of the World's Forests 2022 |date=2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/comprehensive-wealth-highlights-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2022state, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{The State of the World's Forests 2022}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/comprehensive-wealth-highlights-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }