VANCOUVER—Just in time for Earth Day, a new study published today by the Fraser Institute finds Canada’s air quality has dramatically improved over the past five decades, with key air pollutants consistently below national health guideline levels.

“On Earth Day, Canadians should celebrate that our air quality continues to improve, and is among the cleanest air in the world,” said Elmira Aliakbari, director of natural resource studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Canada's Air Quality, 1970-2023.

The study finds that air quality in Canada has improved substantially over the past five decades, with significant decreases in key air pollutants —namely ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide from 1970 to 2023, the latest year of comparable data.

For example, in 2023, the national average concentration of ground-level ozone—a key contributor to smog—was nearly 27 per cent lower than in the 1970s, and has remained below the national health guideline level since 2008.

Sulphur-dioxide concentrations were 94 per cent lower in 2023 compared to the 1970s, have remained below the national health guideline since 2001, and continue to decline.

Nitrogen-dioxide concentrations were 80 per cent lower than in the 1970s and have remained below national health guideline levels since 2004. Concentrations of carbon monoxide have fallen by 88 per cent since the 1970s and have remained below stringent global health guideline levels since 1983.

“Canadians should be proud of their environmental record, as air pollution that accompanied more than 100 years of industrialization has been reduced to extremely low levels,” Aliakbari said.

“Canada has now achieved some of the strictest air quality that meets some of the world’s most stringent targets.”

Fraser Institute——Bio and Archives

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit fraserinstitute.org.

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