North American Truck CO2 Emissions Map: 2035 Projections for Canada, the United States, and Mexico
This interactive map visualises estimated annual truck CO2 emissions for 2035 along the Mexico City to Montreal Transportation Corridor — the primary overland freight route connecting Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Each highway segment is coloured by its projected emission intensity, measured in kilotonnes of CO2 per kilometre. Data is sourced from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), drawing on the FHWA Freight Analysis Framework, Transport Canada, and Mexican transportation authorities.
Interactive Truck CO2 Emissions Map: Canada, United States, and Mexico
Toggle individual countries on or off using the checkboxes in the toolbar. Click any highway segment to view its projected CO2 intensity, estimated annual emissions, and truck traffic volume for 2035.
How to Use This Map
Reading the Colour Scale
Each highway segment is coloured according to its projected CO2 emission intensity in kilotonnes per kilometre (kt/km):
- Yellow — 0 to 2 kt/km: lower-intensity segments, typically rural or lower-traffic corridors
- Orange — 2 to 5 kt/km: moderate emission intensity
- Red — 5 to 9 kt/km: high-intensity freight corridors
- Dark red — 9 kt/km and above: the most heavily used segments, typically near major urban centres
Toggling Countries
Use the Canada, United States, and Mexico checkboxes in the toolbar to show or hide each country’s road network independently. This lets you isolate and compare emission patterns across different parts of the corridor.
Segment Details
Click any highway segment to open a popup with the route name or link description, state or province, CO2 intensity (kt/km), estimated annual CO2 output (kt/yr), and projected daily truck volumes for 2035.
Sharing
The page URL updates automatically as you navigate and toggle layers. Copy and share the URL to link directly to a specific map view.
Truck CO2 Emissions in Canada
In Canada, the corridor connects major freight hubs from the US border through Ontario and Quebec toward Montreal. Canadian segments are modelled using Transport Canada freight data. Emission intensity on Canadian highways reflects a mix of interprovincial through-traffic and cross-border trade movements, with higher intensities concentrated near Windsor, Toronto, and the Quebec City–Windsor corridor.
Truck CO2 Emissions in the United States
The United States accounts for the longest stretch of the Mexico City to Montreal corridor and the greatest share of total projected freight emissions. US highway segments are modelled using the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), which projects freight flows and vehicle miles travelled through 2035. The highest-intensity segments in the United States cluster around major interstate hubs such as Chicago, Detroit, and the I-75 and I-95 corridors.
Truck CO2 Emissions in Mexico
The Mexican portion of the corridor extends from Mexico City northward toward the US border at Laredo and other major crossings. Mexican highway segments are modelled using data from national transportation agencies. Emission intensity in Mexico reflects high truck volumes on the primary NAFTA trade routes, particularly along Federal Highway 57 and associated connectors serving the maquiladora manufacturing belt in northern Mexico.
About the Data
This dataset was compiled by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) as part of its North American Environmental Atlas. Emission projections for 2035 are derived from three national freight modelling frameworks:
- United States: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Freight Analysis Framework (FAF)
- Canada: Transport Canada freight flow models
- Mexico: Mexican Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) data
Emissions are expressed in kilotonnes of CO2 per kilometre (kt/km) for intensity, and kilotonnes of CO2 per year (kt/yr) for annual totals. All figures are projections and reflect modelled scenarios, not measured values.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kt/km mean?
Kilotonnes per kilometre (kt/km) measures the emission intensity of a road segment — the amount of CO2 projected to be emitted per kilometre of that segment in a given year. It accounts for both the volume of truck traffic and the length of the segment.
Why does the map show 2035 projections rather than current data?
The CEC dataset models future freight demand and emission scenarios to support long-term infrastructure and climate policy planning across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The 2035 horizon aligns with North American freight growth projections from the FHWA FAF and equivalent national models.
Which countries are included?
The map covers all three North American CUSMA/USMCA countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The corridor runs from Mexico City in the south to Montreal in the north, passing through major US freight hubs.
What types of trucks are included?
The dataset covers heavy freight trucks (combination trucks and semi-trailers) operating on the North American highway network. Lighter commercial vehicles are not included.
Where can I download the underlying data?
The original dataset is available from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation in formats including Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML, and CSV.
How accurate are the projections?
These are modelled projections based on freight growth scenarios and fleet emission assumptions as of the dataset’s publication. Actual 2035 emissions will depend on fuel technology adoption, trade volumes, and infrastructure changes across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
