Air pollutant emissions

Access PDF (3.66 MB)

Air pollution problems, such as smog and acid rain, result from the release of pollutants into the atmosphere. These pollutants can affect Canadians' health, the environment, buildings, structures and the economy. The majority of these pollutants are released through human activities, such as transportation, the burning of fuels for electricity and heating, and a variety of industrial activities. The indicators on sulphur oxides (SOX), nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon, a component of PM2.5, report emissions released through human activities.

National air pollutant trends

This section presents a summary of Canada's emissions of 6 key air pollutants between 1990 to 2022 along with highlights of the main sources and provincial and territorial distributions for 2022. Detailed analysis by pollutant, including black carbon, along with information on emissions from 3 of the largest source sectors in Canada is presented following the indicators.

Key results

  • In 2022, emissions of 5 key air pollutants were lower than in 1990:
    • SOX 78% lower
    • NOX 42% lower
    • VOCs 38% lower
    • CO 65% lower
    • PM2.5 22% lower
  • Emissions of NH3 were 22% higher in 2022 than in 1990

Air pollutant emissions, Canada, 1990 to 2022

Air pollutant emissions, Canada, 1990 to 2022 (see data table below for the long description)
Data table for the long description
Air pollutant emissions, Canada, 1990 to 2022
Year Sulphur oxides
(percentage change from 1990 level)
Nitrogen oxides
(percentage change from 1990 level)
Volatile organic compounds
(percentage change from 1990 level)
Ammonia
(percentage change from 1990 level)
Carbon monoxide
(percentage change from 1990 level)
Fine particulate matter
(percentage change from 1990 level)
1990 0 0 0 0 0 0
1991 -7 -3 -1 -1 -3 -3
1992 -11 0 0 2 -3 -5
1993 -14 4 4 3 -2 -5
1994 -21 10 7 7 -2 -4
1995 -17 13 10 14 0 -4
1996 -16 17 12 18 -2 -6
1997 -18 22 12 19 -5 -6
1998 -19 22 12 19 -8 -8
1999 -23 22 10 18 -10 -9
2000 -23 20 10 20 -12 -10
2001 -23 15 6 20 -15 -11
2002 -25 13 6 22 -16 -15
2003 -27 12 3 21 -20 -16
2004 -27 5 0 25 -26 -18
2005 -30 1 0 24 -31 -17
2006 -37 -6 -5 21 -37 -21
2007 -39 -7 -8 22 -43 -19
2008 -45 -10 -12 20 -47 -18
2009 -53 -16 -18 16 -49 -21
2010 -57 -16 -20 14 -48 -19
2011 -60 -20 -23 13 -51 -19
2012 -61 -25 -22 17 -54 -16
2013 -61 -27 -21 21 -55 -14
2014 -63 -28 -21 19 -57 -13
2015 -65 -31 -25 19 -59 -16
2016 -65 -35 -30 19 -59 -20
2017 -69 -34 -30 17 -60 -19
2018 -73 -35 -29 21 -61 -17
2019 -76 -36 -31 21 -62 -15
2020 -78 -42 -39 25 -65 -22
2021 -79 -42 -39 26 -65 -22
2022 -78 -42 -38 22 -65 -22

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.14 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: This indicator reports emissions of 6 key air pollutants from human activities only. It does not include emissions from natural sources such as forest fires and from vegetation. Emissions from black carbon, a component of PM2.5, are also not included. Consult the black carbon section for a detailed analysis of the pollutant or the interactive figures to explore the national results and emissions from black carbon in a dynamic and customizable format. 
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2024) Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory.

The years 2020 and 2021 were marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. This coincides with decreases in emissions between the years 2019 and 2020 for all the pollutants except for NH3. In 2021, the second year of the pandemic, most of the pollutant emissions increased compared to 2020 levels but stayed below their 2019 pre-pandemic levels. The following year, 2022, has shown decreases in CO, NH3, NOx and PM2.5 compared to 2021. In contrast, emissions of SOx and VOCs increased between 2021 and 2022. For all pollutants except NH3, emissions in 2022 remained below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

Air pollutant emissions by source

Key results

  • In 2022, the largest sources of emissions of the 6 key air pollutants in Canada were the oil and gas industry, transportation, off-road vehicles and mobile equipment, agriculture, and dust and fires (for example, road dust, dust from construction operations and prescribed burning, but excluding forest fires)

Distribution of air pollutant emissions by source, Canada, 2022

Distribution of air pollutant emissions by source, Canada, 2022 (see data table below for the long description)
Data table for the long description
Distribution of air pollutant emissions by source, Canada, 2022
Source Sulphur oxides
(percentage of national emissions)
Nitrogen oxides
(percentage of national emissions)
Volatile organic compounds
(percentage of national emissions)
Ammonia
(percentage of national emissions)
Carbon monoxide
(percentage of national emissions)
Fine particulate matter
(percentage of national emissions)
Oil and gas industry 42.2 34.0 37.4 0.5 11.6 1.1
Manufacturing 5.9 5.1 7.6 2.2 2.9 1.1
Ore and mineral industries 26.8 6.0 0.5 0.4 11.1 2.6
Transportation (road, rail, air and marine) 0.5 28.4 4.7 1.3 21.7 0.7
Off-road vehicles and mobile equipment n/a 13.4 9.3 <0.1 37.4 1.2
Building heating and energy generation 0.4 4.8 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.4
Electric utilities 23.6 7.0 <0.1 <0.1 0.9 0.2
Home firewood burning 0.2 0.7 8.2 0.2 12.0 6.1
Incineration and waste 0.3 0.4 0.8 1.5 0.2 <0.1
Paints and solvents n/a n/a 19.3 n/a n/a n/a
  
Agriculture (livestock, crop production and fertilizer)
n/a 0.2 8.2 93.6 n/a 27.2
Dust and fires n/a <0.1 0.3 n/a 1.3 58.1
Miscellaneous n/a n/a 3.5 0.1 0.1 1.1

Note: n/a = not available. The percentages have been rounded off and their sum may not add up to 100.

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.13 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: The indicator reports emissions of 6 key air pollutants from human activities only. It does not include emissions from natural sources such as forest fires and from vegetation. Emissions from black carbon, a component of PM2.5, are also not included. Consult the black carbon section for a detailed analysis of the pollutant. The category "dust and fires" includes emissions from human activities such as prescribed burning and dust from roads. Consult Table 1 in the Data sources and methods for a complete list of the air pollutant emissions sources included under each category.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2024) Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory.

In 2022, the human-made sources most contributing to Canada's air pollutant emissions were the following:

  • the oil and gas industry, electric utilities and ore and mineral industries together represented the majority of SOX emissions
  • the oil and gas industries, transportation (road, rail, air and marine) and off-road vehicles and mobile equipment were key sources of NOX emissions
  • most of the VOC emissions came from the oil and gas industry and from the use of paints and solvents
  • agriculture (livestock, crop production and fertilizer) accounted for the majority of NH3 emissions
  • off-road vehicles and mobile equipment, transportation, home firewood burning and the oil and gas industry were major sources of CO emissions
  • dust and fires were the most important sources of PM2.5 emissions, agriculture being the second largest source

Air pollutant emissions by province and territory

Key results

At the provincial and territorial level, emissions of the 6 key air pollutants in 2022 were:

  • the highest in Alberta for SOX (26% of national emissions), NOX (40%), VOCs (34%) and NH3 (29%); second highest for CO (23%) and PM2.5 (25%)
  • the highest in Quebec for CO (25%)
  • the highest in Saskatchewan for PM2.5 (27% of national emissions); the second highest for SOx (19%) and NH3 (21%)
  • the second highest in Ontario for VOCs (20% of national emissions)
  • also important in British Columbia for NOX, accounting for 15% of the national emissions of this pollutant, Quebec for VOCs, accounting for 15% of the national emissions of this pollutant and in Ontario for SOx, NH3, NOx, CO and PM2.5, accounting for 18%, 19%, 14%, 21% and 17% of the national emissions of these pollutants

Distribution of air pollutant emissions by province and territory, Canada, 2022

Distribution of air pollutant emissions by province and territory, Canada, 2022 (see data table below for the long description)
Data table for the long description
Distribution of air pollutant emissions by province and territory, Canada, 2022
Province or territory Sulphur oxides
(percentage of national emissions)
Nitrogen oxides
(percentage of national emissions)
Volatile organic compounds
(percentage of national emissions)
Ammonia
(percentage of national emissions)
Carbon monoxide
(percentage of national emissions)
Fine particulate matter
(percentage of national emissions)
Newfoundland and Labrador 1.4 4.2 1.2 0.2 1.5 1.2
Prince Edward Island <0.1 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.3
Nova Scotia 8.0 3.5 1.8 0.8 2.1 1.4
New Brunswick 2.1 1.6 1.5 0.7 1.8 1.1
Quebec 14.6 9.4 14.6 13.1 25.4 11.4
Ontario 18.2 14.2 20.2 19.0 21.1 16.5
Manitoba 0.3 2.2 4.1 11.9 4.5 7.1
Saskatchewan 18.8 8.4 14.1 20.6 7.6 27.1
Alberta 26.1 39.9 33.5 28.7 23.2 24.6
British Columbia 10.2 14.6 8.4 4.2 12.0 8.5
Yukon <0.1 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 0.1 0.2
Northwest Territories <0.1 0.7 0.2 <0.1 0.2 0.2
Nunavut <0.1 0.6 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0.2

Note: The percentages have been rounded off and their sum may not add up to 100.

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 1.97 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note:  The indicator reports emissions of 6 key air pollutants from human activities only. It does not include emissions from natural sources such as forest fires and from vegetation. Emissions from black carbon, a component of PM2.5, are also not included. Consult the black carbon section for a detailed analysis of the pollutant.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2024) Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory.

Page details

Give feedback about this page

Did you find what you were looking for?

If not, tell us why below:

Tell us why below:

You will not receive a reply. Don't include personal information (telephone, email, SIN, financial, medical, or work details).

Maximum 300 characters

Thank you for your feedback.

Date modified: