Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this committee of the whole this evening.
Clean air is important to all Canadians. When our air is compromised by pollution, our health pays the price. When our government came into office in 2006, clean air was and remains a top priority. Air pollution is linked to a wide variety of health concerns, including asthma and cardiovascular disease. Air pollution can lead to premature death, increased hospital admissions, more emergency room visits and higher rates of worker absenteeism.
Budget 2011 alone provided almost $870 million in renewed funding for the clean air regulatory agenda to ensure that we can deliver on our commitments and priorities on air quality. Because of Canada's diverse geography and types of industrial development, pollution levels and the sources of air pollution vary across the country. Environment Canada is taking steps that will make an impact on air pollution across the country. These include regulations to reduce emissions from vehicles and engines, the gradual phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation and regulations to reduce emissions from certain consumer and commercial products that contain harmful elements in large quantities. The government is also working hard with the provinces and industrial stakeholders on a new, comprehensive, nationwide air quality management system to improve air quality across Canada.
The air quality management system has been developed over the past three years with the unprecedented collaboration of the federal, provincial and territorial governments; industry; and a broad range of other stakeholders. As part of the air quality management system, Canadian ambient air quality standards for particulate matter and ground-level ozone more stringent than the existing Canada-wide standards have been developed. The objective of these national standards is to achieve a level of air quality that provides a measurable improvement in the health of Canadians. These standards will also be used by provinces and territories to manage air quality at the regional and local levels.
In addition to national efforts to improve air quality within Canada, the Government of Canada is taking steps internationally to reduce the cross-border flow of air pollution and its impacts. Developing a clearer national framework on air pollution through the air quality management system will provide a strong basis for further engagement with the United States on transboundary airflow issues, including the Canada–U.S. air quality agreement. Cooperation between Canada and the United States on air quality is ongoing under the air quality agreement, and also under the mandate of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council. Over 20 years ago, scientists concluded that transboundary movement of air pollution from industrial activities between Canada and the United States resulted in acid rain causing smog and serious damage to our environment. Action was taken to establish a joint agreement to address the issue. Following 20 years of cooperation between Canada and the U.S., emissions causing acid rain have been cut in half and emissions causing smog have been cut by one-third in the region covered under the agreement.
In Canada as a whole, emissions of the key pollutants that contribute to smog, acid rain and poor air quality have seen significant declines since 1990. For example, emissions of sulphur oxides declined by about 54%, mainly due to reductions from base-metal smelters which were down 72% and fossil-fuel fired electricity-generating utilities which decreased by 45%. Since the addition of the ozone annex to the Canada–U.S. air quality agreement in 2000, Canada has also reduced emissions to nitrogen oxide by one-third in southern and central Ontario and southern Quebec. Environment Canada's initiatives have also resulted in a 34% reduction in emissions of particulate matter which is linked to respiratory illness such as chronic bronchitis and asthma as well as cardiac illness and premature death.
However, more effort on particulate matter is required, and this government is acting. Environment Canada is working with the U.S. on the expansion of the Canada-U.S. air quality agreement to address transboundary particulate matter.
Environment Canada is also working with international partners under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to address transboundary air pollution.
In just the past few weeks, Canada played a constructive role in finalizing historic amendments to the 1999 Gothenburg protocol adopted in Geneva on May 4. This protocol will result in further global reductions of air pollution by 2020. The revised Gothenburg protocol is also noteworthy on air pollution policy because it is the first international treaty to include a short-lived climate pollutant, black carbon, as a component of particulate matter. Black carbon is both an air pollutant and a major contributor to global warming. By taking action to reduce black carbon emissions, we fight air pollution and climate change at the same time.
This government is proud of its achievements in reducing air pollution emissions. We are committing significant funding resources to continue the work. Again, progress has been achieved domestically, with close collaboration among this government and the provinces and territories and also bilaterally, by way of our ongoing work with the U.S. to reduce cross-border air pollution.
This government has also worked constructively with our partners in Europe and the U.S. to finalize and see adopted the revised Gothenburg protocol.
This issue is of the utmost importance to the people of Mississauga South, and to all Canadians. This government will continue to address Canada's air quality issues today and in the future, to ensure that future generations can breathe easier.
I do have a few questions for the minister. My first question, through you, Mr. Chair, for the Minister of the Environment is with regard to the current state of air quality compared with other countries.
What is the current state of our air quality in Canada?
