Canada’s Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory Report 2022: annex 4
Submission to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Canada reports on atmospheric emissions of air pollutants to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) through the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) Centre on Emission Inventories and Projections (CEIP) pursuant to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) and its associated protocols. Table A4–1 lists the atmospheric pollutants for which annual emissions are reported to the UNECE, along with the corresponding protocols under CLRTAP.
| Pollutant | Relevant protocols under the CLRTAP | Protocol obligation |
|---|---|---|
| SOx | 1999 Gothenburg Protocol (as amended in 2012) 1999 Gothenburg Protocol 1994 Oslo Protocol 1985 Helsinki Protocol |
Reduction of SO2 emissions by 55% from 2005 levels by 2020 2010 emissions ceiling of 1.45 million tonnes Maintain SOx emissions (excluding natural sources) in the regional Sulphur Oxides Management Area (SOMA) below 1.8 million tonnes Reduction of SOx emissions by at least 30 percent from 1980 levels |
| NOx | 1999 Gothenburg Protocol (as amended in 2012) 1999 Gothenburg Protocol 1988 Sofia Protocol |
Reduction of NOx emissions by 35% from 2005 levels by 2020 2010 emissions ceiling of 2.25 million tonnes Stabilize (not exceed) 1987 NOx level |
| VOCs | 1999 Gothenburg Protocol (as amended in 2012) 1999 Gothenburg Protocol |
Reduction of VOC emissions by 20% from 2005 levels by 2020 2010 emissions ceiling of 2.1 million tonnes |
| PM2.5 | 1999 Gothenburg Protocol (as amended in 2012) | Reduction of PM2.5 emissions by 25% from 2005 levels by 2020 (excluding road dust, construction operations, and crop production) |
| NH3 | 1999 Gothenburg Protocol | Emission reporting |
| Pb | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Heavy Metals | 50% reduction of 1990 level by 2011 |
| Cd | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Heavy Metals | 50% reduction of 1990 level by 2011 |
| Hg | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Heavy Metals | 50% reduction of 1990 level by 2011 |
| Dioxins and furans | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on POPs | Stabilize (not exceed) 1990 level |
| B[a]p | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on POPs | Stabilize (not exceed) 1990 level |
| B[b]f | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on POPs | Stabilize (not exceed) 1990 level |
| B[k]f | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on POPs | Stabilize (not exceed) 1990 level |
| I(cd)p | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on POPs | Stabilize (not exceed) 1990 level |
| HCB | 1998 Aarhus Protocol on POPs | Stabilize (not exceed) 1990 level |
A4.1 Canada’s air pollution emissions relative to international commitments
This edition of the Canada’s Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory (APEI) indicates that:
- Emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx) were 0.7 million tonnes in 2020, 55% below the 2010 emission ceiling under the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol and 69% below 2005 levels; therefore, Canada has met its commitment to reduce emissions of SOx by 55% from 2005 levels by 2020, as per the amended Gothenburg Protocol.
- Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) were 1.4 million tonnes in 2020, 36% below the 2010 emission ceiling under the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol and 36% below 2005 levels; therefore, Canada has met its commitment to reduce emissions of NOx by 35% from 2005 levels by 2020, as per the amended Gothenburg Protocol.
- Emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were 1.5 million tonnes in 2020, 30% below the 2010 emission ceiling under the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol and 36% below 2005 levels; therefore, Canada has met its commitment to reduce emissions of non-methane VOCs by 20% from 2005 levels by 2020, as per the amended Gothenburg Protocol.
- Emissions of fine particulate matter (particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter [PM2.5]) were 1.4 million tonnes in 2020, 15% below 1990 levels and 15% above 2005 levels.
- Emissions of PM2.5 decreased from most sources with the notable exceptions of dust sources (not from combustion) such as construction operations and unpaved roads.
- Excluding sources from road dust, construction operations, and crop production, PM2.5 emissions in 2020 were 30% lower compared to 2005 levels; therefore, Canada has met its commitmentFootnote 1 to reduce emissions of PM2.5 by 25% from 2005 levels by 2020, as per the amended Gothenburg Protocol.
- Emissions of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in 2020 were 90%, 77% and 82% below the ceilings established under the 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Heavy Metals.
- Emissions of all persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in 2020 were below the ceilings established under the 1998 Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants, including the four species of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (80% below), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (81% below), and dioxins and furans (70% below).
Irrespective of the downward trends observed in Canadian emissions, air quality issues may still arise when emissions sources are spatially concentrated. While the APEI provides valuable information on emissions within Canada, it does not distinguish localized sources of emissions within the provincial and territorial level aggregations.
A4.2 Overview of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe reporting template
The UNECE Nomenclature for Reporting (NFR) categories correspond to the sectors described in the EMEP/EEA Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Guidebook 2019 (EEA, 2019). In addition to providing technical guidance for developing inventory methodologies, the 2019 EMEP/EEA guidebook includes instructions for attributing sectoral emissions to NFR codes.
Whereas the APEI report groups emissions by sectors (e.g. pulp and paper industry), the emissions in the UNECE are grouped by process and combustion sources. For example, the pulp and paper industry within the APEI includes both combustion and process emissions. The combustion component is mapped to NFR sector 1A2d (Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Pulp, Paper and Print). The process component is mapped to NFR sector 2H1 (Pulp and paper industry).
Table A4–2 illustrates the structure of the UNECE reporting template. The template, last revised November 18, 2019, can be found in its entirety on the CEIP website.
Notes:
BC = black carbon
GNFR = Gridded nomenclature for reporting
LPS = Large point source
NMVOC = Non-methane volatile organic compounds (refer to Annex 1 for more information)
TSP = Total suspended particles (equivalent to TPM in this report)
NFR aggregation |
NFR sectors to be reported – NFR Code | NFR sectors to be reported – Long name |
NFR sectors to be reported – Notes | Main pollutants (from 1990) – NOx (as NO2) (kt) |
Main pollutants (from 1990) – NMVOC (kt) |
Main pollutants (from 1990) – SOx (as SO2) (kt) |
Main pollutants (from 1990) – NH3 (kt) |
Particulate matter (from 2000) – PM2.5 (kt) |
Particulate matter (from 2000) – PM10 (kt) |
Particulate matter (from 2000) – TSP (kt) |
Particulate matter (from 2000) – BC (kt) |
Other (from 1990) – CO (kt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A_PublicPower |
1 A 1 a |
Public electricity and heat production |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 1 b |
Petroleum refining |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 1 c |
Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 a |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Iron and steel |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 b |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Non-ferrous metals |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 c |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Chemicals |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 d |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Pulp, Paper and Print |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 e |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Food processing, beverages and tobacco |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 f |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Non-metallic minerals |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
I_Offroad |
1 A 2 g vii |
Mobile combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: (please specify in your IIR) |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
B_Industry |
1 A 2 g viii |
Stationary combustion in manufacturing industries and construction: Other (please specify in your IIR) |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
A4.3 Mapping of Air Pollutant Emission Inventory emissions to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Nomenclature for Reporting categories
The mapping of APEI sector emissions to UNECE NFR categories involves dividing the sector emissions into their combustion and process components. Whereas certain sectors contribute solely a process component (in the case of road dust) or combustion component (in the case of transport sector), the majority of sectoral emissions are distributed over both components. In most sectors, this is accomplished using a split ratio, which, apart from a small number of exceptions, is assigned to a particular subsector and pollutant. For example, in the oil sands mining, extraction and upgrading subsector, a portion of the emissions are attributed to combustion and are accounted in manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries, while another portion is attributed to the process emissions and are compiled in the fugitive emissions oil as illustrated in Table A4–3. The only exception for that subsector is ammonia (NH3), where all emissions are attributed to combustion activities. Finally, some in-house estimation methodologies produce detailed emissions by source, and emissions are assigned directly to the appropriate NFR code.
| APEI subsector | UNECE NFR category – Combustion | UNECE NFR category – Process | Pollutant | Split ratios (w/w)a – Combustion | Split ratios (w/w)a – Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
B(a)p | 0.998 | 0.002 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
B(b)f | 0.834 | 0.166 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
B(k)f | 0.998 | 0.002 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
Cd | 0.970 | 0.030 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
CO | 0.947 | 0.053 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
Hg | 0.969 | 0.031 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
I(1,2,3-cd)p | 0.999 | 0.001 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
NH3 | 1.000 | 0.000 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
NOx | 0.996 | 0.004 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
Pb | 0.990 | 0.010 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
PM10 | 0.442 | 0.558 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
PM2.5 | 0.646 | 0.354 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
SOx | 0.998 | 0.002 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
TPM | 0.293 | 0.707 |
| Oil Sands Mining, Extraction and Upgrading |
1A1c: Manufacture of solid fuels and other energy industries |
1B2ai: Fugitive emissions oil: Exploration, production, transport |
VOC | 0.113 | 0.887 |
Note:
a. Data sources = ECCC (2017)
A4.4 Reporting international marine navigation and air transportation emissions
The APEI reports marine and aviation differently than NFR tables. While the overall total of emissions for these sectors are the same, the allocation into different categories are different.
The NFR table has five categories for marine: 1A3dii – National navigation (shipping), 1A4ciii – Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing: National fishing, 1A3di(i) – International maritime navigation, 1A3di(ii) – International inland waterways, and 1A5b – Other, Mobile (including military, land based and recreational boats). The APEI report includes all emissions occurring from domestic marine navigation (1A3dii), fishing vessels (1A4ciii) and military vessels (1A5b) in one category as those categories contribute to Canada’s national total. International marine navigation (excluding fishing and military operations) are reported in a separate table in the APEI report and the NFR table, as those emissions do not contribute to Canada’s national total. This is consistent with international reporting requirements. No values are reported under 1A3di(ii) – International inland waterways.
Similarly, the NFR table has five categories for aviation: 1A3ai(i) – International aviation landing/take-offs (LTO) (civil), 1A3ai(ii) – International aviation cruise (civil), 1A3aii(i) – Domestic aviation LTO (civil), 1A3aii(ii) – Domestic aviation cruise (civil), and 1A5b – Other, Mobile (including military, land based and recreational boats). The APEI report includes all emissions occurring from civil LTO cycles—1A3ai(i) and 1A3aii(i)—and military flights (1A5b) in one category as those categories contribute to Canada’s national total. The emissions attributed to the cruise phase for civil flights are reported separately in the APEI report and the NFR table, as those emissions do not contribute to Canada’s national total. This is consistent with international reporting requirements.
References, Annex 4, Submission to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
[ECCC] Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2017. An Inventory of GHG, CAC and Other Priority Emissions by the Canadian Oil Sands Industry: 2003 to 2015. Prepared by Clearstone Engineering Ltd.
[EEA] European Environment Agency. 2019. EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook 2019. Technical guidance to prepare national emissions inventories. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union Technical Report No. 13/2019.
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