Government of Canada actions to reduce air pollution

We continue to work hard to raise awareness of the environmental and health impacts of air pollution. We are also taking steps to improve air quality and fight climate change through updated and new national emissions standards. Our scientists and researchers provide rigorous scientific assessments of the health and environmental impacts of air pollutants and their sources. Their work helps inform action by the Government of Canada to further reduce the risks from air pollution.

Protecting Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic

Air pollutant science assessments from Canada and the United States observe that exposure to air pollution increases susceptibility to respiratory viral infections and pneumonia. This suggests that people exposed to higher levels of air pollution may be at greater risk of becoming ill with COVID-19, with an increase in frequency of the most severe outcomes.

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting Canadians from the adverse effects of air pollution, including the contribution of wildfire smoke. We are doing this through:

• Air Quality Health Index forecasts for communities across Canada. These forecasts are issued twice a day and current air quality conditions are updated hourly.
• Empowering Canadians to be aware of current air quality conditions through the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
• Wildfire smoke forecast maps that help predict how smoke from the wildfires is expected to travel.
• Air quality alerts for communities at immediate risk from air pollution caused by dense wildfire smoke.
• Working with other levels of government to measure air quality at hundreds of locations across Canada. ECCC has also taken steps to maintain Canada’s air quality monitoring networks to the extent possible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Working with the provinces and territories through the Air Quality Management System. Current work includes reviewing the standard for fine particulate matter – which causes significant health impacts.
• The Government of Canada is also tracking the emerging science on linkages between air pollution and COVID-19. The air quality monitoring data collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada can inform studies that examine the links between the COVID-19 pandemic and air pollution.

Lowering emissions

Helping Canadians lower emissions of air pollutants by:

• helping businesses that manufacture net-zero technologies through reduced income tax rates breaks and investing in decarbonizing efforts by large emitters through programs such as the Net Zero Accelerator
• funding projects in the North to reduce reliance on diesel for electricity
• providing incentives towards the purchase of zero emission vehicles
• funding to install more electric charging and hydrogen refueling stations
• ensuring Canadians use high-quality fuels by putting in place regulations that limit polluting causing components in fuels that are produced, imported, or sold in Canada.
• Empowering Canadians to be aware of current air quality conditions through the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)

Reducing harmful emissions across various industries and operations through:

• regulations to reduce methane and volatile organic compound emissions from the oil and gas industry
• regulations to reduce emissions from a wide range of engines, vehicles and machines including:
  • new passenger cars, light-duty trucks, motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles (such as highway tractors, buses and dump trucks)
  • off-road small spark-ignition engines, such as small gas-powered generators, chainsaws, lawnmowers and other garden equipment
  • off-road compression-ignition engines, such as farming, mining and forestry machines
  • marine and off-road recreational vehicles powered by spark-ignition engines, such as off-road motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and personal watercraft
• finalizing new emissions regulations that will apply in years ahead for :
  • large spark-ignition engines, such as forklifts, ice re-surfacers, and other commercial machines
  • stationary compression-ignition engines, such as generators and other industrial machines
• funding projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund that will achieve greenhouse gas and air pollutant reductions
• phasing out traditional coal-fired electricity by 2030
• greenhouse gas regulations for natural gas-fired electricity
• developing a proposed Clean Fuel Standard to promote clean technology and lower carbon fuel use across the country for transportation, homes, buildings and industry
• working with provinces and territories to implement Canada’s Air Quality Management System (AQMS), including industrial emissions requirements and setting stricter outdoor air standards known as Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS)
• implementing the Multi-Sector Air Pollutants Regulations for some industrial boilers and heaters, cement manufacturing, and stationary engines
• guidelines for stationary combustion turbines, as well as codes of practice, performance agreements, and pollution prevention notices for sectors such as aluminum, iron, steel and ilmenite, iron ore pellets, potash, pulp and paper and base-metals smelting
• finalizing regulations to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, that have adverse effects on human health and the environment, from a wide range of commercial and consumer products
• implementing the Strategy on Short-lived Climate Pollutants as part of a holistic approach to meet climate and air-quality objectives

Increasing our climate ambition and air quality

Addressing climate change and ensuring clean air for Canadians is a top priority for the Government of Canada. As Canada begins its journey towards exceeding our 2030 Paris Agreement climate target towards net-zero emissions in 2050, significant reductions in air pollutant emissions are expected as our economy becomes cleaner. For example, recent research suggests particulate matter—one of the most damaging air pollutants—could reduced by as much as 88 per cent, with societal health benefits of about $7 billion a year.

Protection against wildfire smoke

Protecting Canadians from air pollution and wildfire smoke impacts by:

• providing daily air quality forecasts with nearly 255 monitoring sites in more than 200 communities in Canada through the National Air Pollution Surveillance program
• expanding and harmonizing the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
• making AQHI information available on the WeatherCan App
• improving the prediction of smoke to 72 hours using the Firework model
• working with partners (NRCan and CFIS) to improve forest fire emissions inputs to Firework
• using new technology to better forecast and model wildfire impacts

Research on air pollution impacts

Conducting research to better understand air pollution impacts on human health and the environment by:

• Estimating the health impacts and associated economic impacts of air pollutionin Canada
• Assessing the health effects of traffic related air pollution, including potential health effects of gasoline exhaust and potential health effects of diesel exhaust
• publishing health risk assessments for:
  • sulphur dioxide
  • nitrogen dioxide
• assessing the health risks of particulate matter to update the science behind the CAAQS
• researching how air pollution contributes to the development of different diseases, and the health effects of exposure to the following sources to better understand and guide air quality decision-making:
  • marine, rail, and air transportation
  • forest fires

International agreements and partnerships

Working to address air pollution from outside Canada through international agreements and partnerships such as:

• The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, and its Gothenburg Protocol
• The Climate and Clean Air Coalition
• The Global Methane Initiative
• Powering Past Coal Alliance
• Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement
• Arctic Council programs and working groups:
  • Arctic Contaminants Action Program
  • Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme
  • Sustainable Development Working Group
  • Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane
• The Commission for Environmental Cooperation
• The Paris Agreement