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Home / Climate / Developing Ambient Air Quality Objectives For Canada / Ambient Air – Section 4

Ambient Air – Section 4

 

4 Conclusions

Previous - Contents - Next Based on the above observations, the NRTEE offers the following conclusions for the consideration of the federal government: 1. National long-term ambient air quality objectives should be supported by medium-term standards. National ambient air quality objectives should consist of two distinct, albeit related, elements: science-based long-term objectives that establish a national, primarily qualitative goal; and medium-term standards that serve as control measures to reduce pollutants and that can be most effectively applied at the regional level to reflect regional differences in actual air quality. The sooner these objectives and standards are in place, the sooner they can begin to influence the capital investment decisions of industry over the next few years and to trigger opportunities for technological innovation, environmental improvements, and economic growth. In particular, the medium-term standards for 2020 need to be put in place as soon as possible to provide industry with policy and regulatory certainty. 2. The Government of Canada should play the lead role in developing national ambient air quality objectives for all Canadians. The federal government should take advantage of the current high levels of public interest and expectations regarding national air quality and move to develop national ambient air quality objectives for PM and ozone. A coordinated national approach is needed to establish consistency across the country, thereby ensuring equity among all citizens, as well as a level playing field for all industry, regardless of location. Led by the federal government, governments at all levels should begin by setting an agreed timeframe by which these objectives would be established and the standards set in place. If the government were to take the lead role in developing new national objectives and decide to use the existing CWS process as a starting point for setting new objectives, the NRTEE has a number of suggested amendments for its consideration (Appendix 4). Of these suggestions, the NRTEE highlights the following "lessons learned" as critical issues to be addressed in any future objectives- or standards-setting process:
  • A consensus-based approach among participating governments results in agreement only at the "lowest-common-denominator" for the ambient air quality standards, therefore resulting in levels that may not be the most appropriate for the protection of human and ecosystem health.
  • The accountability and credibility of emission inventories, emission forecasts economic analysis, and monitoring systems needs to be strengthened.
  • Mechanisms to ensure clear accountability for the implementation and enforcement of standards are needed.
  • A suitable mix of voluntary and mandatory standards that would take local and regional mpacts into account is needed.
  • Strong leadership and accountability, as well as transparent reporting mechanisms, are needed to ensure progress toward the achievement of standards and objectives.
  • A regular five-year progress review by ministers, senior public service officials, and scientific experts is needed.
3. An independent science-based process should be established to develop Canada's long-term national objectives. The federal government should consider developing long-term, national science-based objectives via an independent process led by a panel of Canadian experts and with the involvement of international expertise. The panel would be responsible for reviewing the latest available international scientific data and for undertaking consultations with provinces, territories, and municipalities. The panel would also be charged with recommending the long-term national objectives to the government. The objectives must be updated as science improves and as new information and understanding become available. Such a process is important as it provides the issue with the profile needed to advance it. By contrast, medium-term standards must reflect regional differences, taking into account a wide range of environmental, economic, and political considerations. They also will be implemented through regional (provincial or territorial) management plans. This puts a premium on inter-jurisdictional cooperation; it implies that the process of establishing these targets needs to differ from the one used for developing national long-term objectives and also to involve more regionally based consultations and a larger set of interests. In each process, however, both citizen involvement and regular government reporting to constituents regarding progress are needed — not only to ensure accountability but also to gain public acceptance and support.