Annual fuel sales data in the Kelowna area is estimated through gasoline and diesel purchases from local fuel stations. As transportation emissions are largely attributed to the burning of gasoline or diesel, fuel sales can be a useful indicator in showing progress on emissions reduction from the transportation sector.
While decreasing fuel sales may correlate to in increase in sustainable mode choice (e.g., replacing car trips with bike or walking trips) or switching to electric vehicles, there are other factors that heavily influence fuel sales. For example, Kelowna's population has increased significantly over the past decade, which means more drivers and more fuel sales. Further, fuel prices and government policy can heavily influence fuel sales. During pandemic years (2020 and 2021) quarantine restrictions were in place which resulted in less driving. As a result, fuel sales dropped during those years.