Canada’s actions on air quality

The Government of Canada has a long history in working with provinces, territories and international partners to keep Canadians and the environment safe from the harmful effects of air pollution.

Canada is committed to addressing air pollution through a number of activities such as scientific research, reporting and policy development, with the goals of reducing emissions of air pollutants and improving indoor and outdoor air quality.  

Air Quality Management System

Canada’s Air Quality Management System (AQMS) is the cornerstone of the government’s effort to address air pollution. The AQMS is a collaborative system under which federal, provincial and territorial governments have specific roles and responsibilities and it engages provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, health and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry in various aspects of its implementation.

Since the AQMS was established in 2012, regulatory and non-regulatory measures have been put in place to address air pollution from industry and increasingly more ambitious national air quality standards for key air pollutants have been set.

To keep Canadians informed on their air quality, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, through the AQMS, provides reporting on the state of the air across the country in Canada’s air quality report. 

Learn more about the AQMS.

Reduction of air pollutants emissions

The Government of Canada has put in place measures under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) to tackle air pollution from industrial sectors, vehicles, engines, fuels, and consumer and commercial products. Environmental performance agreements, guidelines, pollution prevention notices and codes of practices are additional measures used to reduce air pollution.

Please visit the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry to learn more.

Air quality data, research and science

• Learn more about the Government of Canada’s air quality research to understand the science behind air quality and its uses.
• Learn more about the Government of Canada’s air quality monitoring networks and data products.
• Learn more about the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program, the main source of ambient air quality data in Canada.
• Detailed information and data related to all air quality monitoring stations are also available on the Open Science and Data Platform.

Air pollutant inventories

The Government of Canada prepares annual air pollutant inventories to track air pollutant emissions.

• The Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory (APEI) is a comprehensive annual inventory of 17 air pollutants with detailed information about emission levels and trends in Canada since 1990.
• The Black Carbon Emissions Inventory is an annual inventory with detailed information about black carbon emission levels and trends in Canada since 2014.
• The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) collects information on air pollution from over 7000 industrial facilities across Canada.

Partnerships and international engagement

Air quality is an issue of global concern. Air pollution is transboundary in nature, meaning it can travel very long distances. Pollution emitted or created in one part of the world can impact air quality in another part of the world. This is why international cooperation is required to address air pollution.

The Government of Canada has entered into the following legally-binding treaties to address transboundary air pollution:

• Canada-US Air Quality Agreement
• Gothenburg Protocol to reduce transboundary air pollution under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution

Learn more about the Government of Canada’s participation in international environmental agreements and instruments.

Learn more about the Government of Canada’s air quality domestic and global partners.