The table below contains more information regarding the indicator.
| Indicator name |
Percentage of the population living in areas where air pollutant concentrations are less than or equal to the 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards |
|---|---|
| Target |
Increase the percentage of the population across Canada living in areas where air pollutant concentrations are less than or equal to the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards from 63% in 2005 to 85% in 2030 |
| Indicator description |
This indicator tracks the percentage of the population across Canada living in areas where concentrations of outdoor air pollutants were less than or equal to the 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS, the standards). The CAAQS are health- and environmental-based outdoor air quality objectives for pollutant concentrations in the air. The standards are intended to further protect human health and the environment and to promote continuous improvement in air quality across Canada. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) |
| Geographical coverage |
Canada |
| Unit of measurement |
Percentage |
| Calculations |
The indicator is calculated by comparing the spatially averaged pollutant concentration for each geographical area with the respective 2020 Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS, the standards). The total population of all geographical areas where the average concentrations for all pollutants are less than or equal to the respective standards are compared to the national population. (ECCC) |
| Comments and limitations |
From 2005 to 2021, approximately 63.5% of the population lived in areas covered by selected air quality monitoring stations that meet the data completeness criteria. The indicator assumes that the remainder of the population lives in areas where outdoor concentrations of ozone, fine particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are less than or equal to their 2020 standards. Populations in northern regions of the country have less coverage, as monitoring stations tend to be situated near urban areas with a higher population density. Due to unpredictable variability in extreme weather events such as wildfires, results may fluctuate significantly from one reporting period to another. (ECCC) |