Professional Services

NAICS CODES: 54 – Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

The professional services sector provides specialized knowledge and advisory services rather than physical goods. Activities typically occur in offices or remote environments and include fields such as accounting, engineering consulting, legal services, management consulting, architecture, marketing, and financial advisory.

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GHG Emissions
  • 11
    Mt CO2e
1.5% of Canada's emissions
Economic
  • $133B
    in GDP
~500,000 businesses, 2024
Employment
  • 1.2M+
people employed, 2024

Energy Use & Emission Sources

Energy Use
Most firms are small or medium-sized with low individual energy use, but the sector's combined footprint is significant.
On-site energy use is limited to office premises: space and water heating, mostly natural gas and then electricity, with further electricity for cooling and ventilation, lighting, computers, and servers. Because many firms lease their premises, control over heating equipment and metering often rests with the landlord.
Sources
Direct emissions
Direct emissions are low coming from on-site combustion, refrigerant leakage, and company vehicles.
Indirect emissions
Indirect emissions are primarily from purchased electricity and depend on grid carbon intensity. Additional emissions come from commuting, business travel, office equipment and supplies, and digital services, where energy use occurs at a third-party data centre.

Key Emission Sources & Decarbonization Actions

Business Premises
Direct
Indirect
Description
Space and water heating, air-conditioning, lighting, powering computers and servers.
Key Actions
  • Replace fossil-fuel heating systems with electric heat pumps or low-carbon district heating.
  • Increase building efficiency with upgrades such as improved insulation, door and window sealing, smart controls, or efficient equipment.
  • Procure renewable electricity or renewable energy certificates where feasible.
Employee Travel
Indirect
Description
Daily commuting and business travel by car, rail, or air.
Key Actions
  • Encourage public transit, walking, and biking to the facility.
  • Support electric vehicle adoption with on-site chargers.
  • Encourage remote work and virtual meetings.
  • Prioritize rail over air travel for short to medium journeys.
Supplies & Services
Indirect
Description
Production and transportation of office supplies, furniture, computers, and digital services such as cloud computing or data processing.
Key Actions
  • Procure low-carbon or recycled office products.
  • Shift toward digital workflows to reduce paper consumption.
  • Work with suppliers that track and reduce their emissions.
Client Advice
Indirect
Description
Indirect effect of advice provided to clients on emissions.
Key Actions
  • Provide staff training on climate mitigation and sustainable practices.
  • Position the firm as a thought leader in low-carbon advisory services.

Growth & competitiveness benefits

Market Growth
New demand for climate expertise
As the economy decarbonizes, demand for expertise in climate strategy, sustainable design, and low-carbon technologies will grow. Professional services firms can capture new opportunities by helping businesses navigate decarbonization, regulatory requirements, and climate risk.
Brand & Leadership
Credibility with clients and talent
Developing a credible decarbonization strategy enhances corporate reputation, strengthens relationships with clients and investors, and helps attract talent — differentiating firms in competitive service markets.

Additional Resources

Professional Services Net-Zero Primer
See our full primer developed in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada to get started.
See more
GHG Protocol
Guidance on calculating Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions and communicating results consistently.
See more
ISO 14064
International standard to quantify, report, and verify GHG inventories by third parties.
See more
Net-Zero Challenge
Voluntary net-zero commitment program from the Government of Canada.
See more

Sector Title

Primary Title
Secondary title
Priority
Decarbonization Pathway
Role in Net-Zero System

Signal to Decision-Makers

Deploy
Signal Description

Alignment with Carbon Neutrality

carbon score
Alignment with Carbon Neutrality description

Economic

Economic viability

economic viability score

Economic Viability description

Economic development

economic development score
Economic development description

Technical

Maturity

Maturity score
Maturity description

Operational fit

Operational Fit score
Operational Fit description

Infrastructure & supply

Infrastructure & supply score
Infrastructure & supply description

Social

Social acceptability

Social acceptability score
Social acceptability description

Relevance to stakeholders

Relevance to stakeholders score
Relevance to stakeholders description

Related benefits & costs

Related benefits & costs score
related benefits description