Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent said Wednesday that Canada has made great progress in curbing gas emissions, keeping them stable in 2010, despite economic growth.

Data from three reports showed that Canada's overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions levels rose by only 0.25 percent, or two megatons from 2009, while the economy grew by 3.2 percent in the same period.

Kent said Canada has made great progress and is on its way to achieving its target of a 17-percent reduction from the 2005 figures by 2020 -- a new goal since Canada's withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol late last year, a move that spurred international criticism.

Canada implemented policies to regulate and work to reduce emissions to 607 megatons by 2020, Kent said, adding the latest data is promising and Canada is going in the right direction.

He said it is important to keep both the environment and economy in mind while Canada strives to reach its target.

According to the reports, while Canada's emissions have grown by 17.5 percent since 1990, the economy grew by 60.5 percent.

Kent attributed the reported progress to a combination of programs implemented, and also a reduction of emissions from Canadian households.

Canada withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol last year, officially ending its commitment to reduce GHG emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels during the period of 2008 to 2012, in light of estimates at the time indicating that Canada's emissions were way above target.

Kent said at the time that Canada would be obliged to a huge fine as a result.

The three reports released on Wednesday included the National Inventory Report, the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and the greenhouse gas indicators of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators program.