Canada's Performance 2004

VI. The Canadian Environment

Introduction

Environmental quality is central to the long-term quality of life of Canadians and their prosperity. It is critical to their health and sense of well-being, to the liveability of their communities, and the legacy they entrust future generations. Our quality of life today demands fundamental change in the way in which Canadians think about the environment. In the October 2004 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to work with its partners to build sustainable development systematically into decision making.

Canada is the steward of a substantial portion of the world's natural capital, with responsibility for 20 per cent of the world's wilderness, 24 per cent of its wetlands, 7 per cent of its fresh water, 10 per cent of its forests, and the longest coastline in the world. Canadians place great value on their natural environment, and many communities and individuals depend on abundant natural resources and healthy ecosystems for their livelihood. As a major trading nation, Canada has a significant role to play in the development, adoption and promotion of sustainable development practices and technology.

While Canadians should take credit for the gains in environmental quality since the 1970s, significant challenges remain. For example, Canadians are consuming more energy, particularly non-renewable forms of energy, and opting more for polluting vehicles such as sport-utility vehicles. In addition, trends in housing development and land use are leading to more rural areas being converted into urban spaces, further fragmenting wildlife habitat.

The Government of Canada's Role in the Environment

Environmental management is the shared responsibility of federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments, and includes the participation of individuals, community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses. While federal departments and agencies share the responsibility of environmental management with other stakeholders, environmental issues at the international level are mainly the responsibility of the Government of Canada.

The federal government has broad regulatory, policy and program responsibilities, including the environmental management of federal lands and of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. One of the government's enduring roles is to promote the advancement and sharing of knowledge on environmental issues nationally and internationally. This allows Canadians to make informed decisions as citizens, producers and consumers.

The Government of Canada, provinces/territories and Aboriginal peoples have key roles to play in managing Canada's natural resources. The federal government is responsible for aspects of managing natural resources on federal lands, including the judicious use of energy such as renewable energy resources, and for promoting corporate social responsibility in the mineral, metal and allied industries.

To accomplish its role pertaining to the environment, the Government of Canada has passed several laws. Four of them are described below; others are discussed later in this chapter.

• The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) is Canada's primary environmental legislation, with pollution prevention as its cornerstone.
• The Government of Canada is also responsible for enforcing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and its regulations. Through science, planning and public participation, environmental assessments can eliminate or reduce a project's potential effects on the environment. In the October 2004 Speech from the Throne, the government announced that it will consolidate federal environmental assessments and work with the provinces and territories toward a unified and more effective assessment process.
• The Government of Canada protects marine and freshwater ecosystems from water pollution through the Fisheries Act; establishes fishing regulations; and conducts fish stock and marine environmental assessments with a view to protecting ocean resources and fish habitats and ensuring the sustainability of the fishing industry. The Government of Canada also establishes ocean management policies through the Oceans Act.

This chapter measures progress against key Government of Canada outcomes related to the Canadian Environment:

1. Canada's Environment is Protected and Restored from Pollution;
2. The Risk of Climate Change is Minimized; and
3. Canada has a Sustainable Approach to its Natural Resources and Healthy Ecosystems.

In order to pursue these outcomes, the 2004 federal Budget committed $3.5 billion over 10 years to clean up contaminated federal sites; $200 million to support the development and commercialization of environmental technologies to help reduce the risk of climate change and improve air quality; and $15 million over two years to develop better environmental and sustainable development indicators on clean air, clean water and greenhouse gas emissions as recommended by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. In 2004, the government also reiterated its commitment to respect the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in a way that produces long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy. It will do so by refining and implementing an equitable national plan, in partnership with provincial and territorial governments.

Government of Canada outcome: Canada's environment is protected and restored from pollution

Why Is It Important?

The protection of air, water and soil quality is critical to the quality of life of all Canadians.

Air Quality

Clean air is essential to both human and ecosystem health. Most air pollutants come from the combustion of fossil fuels in motor vehicles, factories, industrial or thermal power plants, home furnaces and wood-burning fireplaces. Some of the main air pollutants in Canada are sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), volatile organic compounds (VOC), airborne particles (also known as particulate matter or PM), and carbon monoxide (CO). VOCs and NO_x react in the presence of sunlight, heat and stagnant air to form ground-level ozone (O₃), which leads to the creation of smog.

Smog is a noxious mixture of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter that can often be seen as a haze in the air. It aggravates respiratory ailments and increases the occurrence of cardio-respiratory diseases. The finer particles - those with diameters equal to 2.5 micrometers (PM_2.5) or less - pose the greatest threat to human health because they can travel deepest into the lungs. Particularly vulnerable to smog are people with heart or lung disease, the elderly, and small children. Air pollutants, SO₂ and NO_x, also cause acid rain, which continues to severely stress ecosystems through the acidification of forests, wetlands, lakes, rivers and streams.

Water Quality

Clean water is essential to both human and ecosystem health, municipal and agricultural activities, and recreational opportunities, and is intimately linked with Canada's national identity.

Municipal wastewater effluents, including sanitary sewage and storm water, represent one of the largest threats to the quality of Canadian waters. The release of untreated or inadequately treated municipal wastewater effluents may put Canadians at risk from drinking contaminated water. Treatment plants remove varying amounts of contaminants from wastewater, depending on the level of treatment they provide.

The quality of surface and groundwater is also threatened by other sources of pollution or contamination, such as effluent from septic systems, industrial effluent, waste from intensive livestock operations, agricultural runoff and atmospheric pollution. Water quality and quantity will also be affected by climate change, which may heighten the threat to aquatic wildlife with increased water temperatures and lower water levels due to increased evaporation, and may result in more extreme floods and droughts due to severe weather events and changing weather patterns.

Soil Quality

Healthy soils are key to the production of high-quality agri-food products, the development of sustainable agriculture and the sustainability of forests. They provide a medium for plant growth; hold water, air, nutrients and soil biota; and receive organic wastes, recycling nutrients back to plants. On a larger scale, they hold and break down contaminants and exchange gases with the atmosphere, influencing global climate.

Measures to Track Progress

The following indicators contribute to measuring Canada's progress in the area of Protection and Restoration of Canada's Environment from Pollution:

• Air quality as measured by the average concentrations of air pollutants in Canada and by trends in peak levels of ground-level ozone in Canada;
• Water quality as measured by the level of secondary and/or tertiary municipal wastewater treatment in Canada, and by the water quality of selected stations across Canada.

For information on the quality of agricultural soils, please see the Environmental Signals report published by Environment Canada.

Air Quality: Average Concentrations of Air Pollutants

Current Level and Trends

The yearly average concentrations in urban air across Canada of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) have all decreased since the mid- to late-1980's. There has been no noticeable net change in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations since the mid-1990s.

The decreasing trends contrast with the trends in seasonal average levels for ground-level ozone, which have shown an increase over this period.

Air Quality: Peak Levels of Ground-Level Ozone

Current Level and Trends

Levels of ground-level ozone can vary considerably on an hourly, daily and monthly basis, depending on the prevailing meteorological conditions (especially temperature and air stability), the origin of air masses, and emissions. Since the late 1980s, despite the reductions observed in ambient concentrations of NOx and VOC, the peak levels of ground-level ozone, averaged across all sites in Canada, have remained relatively stable.

These levels vary across the country. Levels tend to be higher east of the Manitoba-Ontario border, especially along the Windsor-Quebec City corridor.

Water quality: Municipal Wastewater Treatment

Current Level and Trends

The percentage of the municipal population on sewers receiving secondary and/or tertiary wastewater treatment increased from 56 per cent in 1983 to 78 per cent in 1999.⁽⁸⁾

The level of wastewater treatment varies significantly across Canada. In 1999, about 84 per cent of the inland municipal population on sewers was being served with secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment, whereas the majority of coastal municipalities were being served by primary treatment or no treatment at all.

Water Quality: Water Quality Indices

Current Level and Trends

In 2003, a general picture of the overall quality of Canada's freshwater was developed using water quality index ratings from federal and provincial studies across Canada. The water bodies selected for this analysis tend to be concentrated in the more populated areas of the country where the potential threats to water quality are generally greatest. Although the results are preliminary, the ratings are generally positive, with most of the selected stations falling into the categories of excellent, good or fair. Still, 21 per cent of the stations returned ratings of only marginal or poor, suggesting that improvements are needed in a number of areas.

Supplemental Information

The Government of Canada is also responsible for protecting the environment and the health of Canadians from toxic substances. For more information on toxic substances in the environment, please see the Environmental Signals report published by Environment Canada.

The Government of Canada's Performance

Several departments and agencies contribute to the pursuit of the Protection and Restoration of Canada's Environment from Pollution through their respective departmental strategic outcomes. In the electronic version of the report, clicking on the links in the table below will lead the reader to planning, performance and resource information, which is contained in the organizations' Departmental Performance Reports and Reports on Plans and Priorities. The Database, which can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/krc/so-rs_e.asp, also leads to relevant audits and evaluations.

Government of Canada outcome: The risk of climate change is minimized

Why Is It Important?

What is climate change?

Climate change is a change in the average pattern of weather for a particular region. While variations in climate over time are a natural occurrence, there is a global scientific consensus that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are likely to accelerate the rate of climate change.

As energy from the sun heats the surface of the earth, greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, trap some of the heat the earth radiates back into space, acting somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.

Without this natural "greenhouse effect," temperatures on earth would be much lower than they are now, and life as we know it would not be possible. However, problems may arise when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases, as they have done since the mid-19th century. There is a strong consensus among scientists that human activity, primarily the increased consumption of fossil fuels, has contributed to this increase. In Canada the energy industry and transportation sectors are the two largest sources of fossil fuel combustion emissions, each of which accounted for more than one-quarter of Canada's total GHG emissions in 2002.

Canadians are already seeing impacts consistent with the expectations of climate science, including changes in Western Arctic sea ice coverage and melting permafrost in the North; changes in fish stocks and migration patterns; increasing frequency and severity of fires and insect infestations in forests; extended drought conditions and receding glaciers in the West; and changes in the flowering time of trees and the freeze-up of lakes.

Reducing GHG emissions

Reducing GHG emissions will minimize the risk of climate change. Generally speaking, the more energy Canadians use, the more GHG emissions produced and the greater the impact on global climate change. There are generally three possible ways to reduce GHG emissions: increase energy efficiency; transition toward no/low carbon energy; and use carbon sequestration (which prevents carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere or, if it has already been emitted, removes it from the atmosphere). However, all these approaches are highly dependent on the availability of new sustainable technologies.

What is the Government of Canada doing?

Leading by example, the Government of Canada has committed to reducing the GHG emissions from its own operations by 31 per cent from 1990 to 2010. It has already reduced them by 24.4 per cent between 1990 and 2001.

In addition, Canada officially ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the United-Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on December 17, 2002. Under this protocol, Canada is required to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 6 per cent below 1990 levels in the period from 2008 to 2012. To meet this obligation, the government developed the Climate Change Plan for Canada, which aims to reduce GHG emissions while, at the same time, enhancing Canada's competitiveness and improving the quality of life of Canadians.

Since 1997, the Government of Canada has committed $3.7 billion, including $2 billion in Budget 2003 alone, to understand and minimize the risk of climate change. For example, it supports programs to raise awareness of climate change impacts, encourage Canadians to adopt environmentally friendly behaviours, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also supports research to improve climate change science and accelerate the development and commercialization of cleaner technologies. The results of these endeavours will not be fully reflected in emissions data for a few years. In the October 2004 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to place increased focus on energy efficiency and energy research and development.

Measures to Track Progress

The following indicator contributes to measuring Canada's efforts in Minimizing the Risk of Climate Change:

• Climate change as measured by Canadian GHG emissions and energy efficiency improvements in secondary energy use. Secondary energy use is the energy used by final consumers for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and transportation purposes. In other terms, it is the energy that Canadians use to heat and cool their homes and workplaces and to operate their appliances, vehicles and factories.

Climate Change: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Current Level and Trends

Since 1990, Canadian GHG emissions have increased by 20.1 per cent. From 2000 to 2001, emissions dropped by 1.2 per cent, mainly due to warmer temperatures, and then increased again between 2001 and 2002 by 2.1 per cent.

In 2002, Canadians contributed approximately 731 megatonnes of CO₂ equivalent of GHGs into the atmosphere, equating to about 2 per cent of total global GHG emissions, while comprising only 0.5 per cent of the global population.

However, Canada's emissions intensity - the amount of GHGs emitted per unit of economic activity - has been declining by an average of 1 per cent per year since 1990.

International Comparison

There is no question that reaching our Kyoto targets is a challenge. Canada is one of the largest per capita emitters of greenhouse gasses in the world (Canada ranks third according to OECD Key Environmental Indicators 2004). Its high energy consumption is due to vast travel distances, a cold climate, an energy-intensive industrial-based economy, relatively low energy prices, and a high standard of living. For these reasons, the challenge for Canada is especially great. The Government of Canada will respect its commitment to the Kyoto protocol on climate change in a way that produces long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy.

Climate Change: Energy Efficiency

Canada's secondary energy use increased by 18 per cent between 1990 and 2002. Had it not been for significant ongoing improvements in energy efficiency, the increase would have been another 13 per cent, or 880.7 petajoules, higher (one petajoule is the amount of energy consumed by a town of 3800 people in one year).

Supplemental Information

For additional information on what the Government of Canada is doing to minimize the risk of climate change, please see the Horizontal Results database at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/eppi-ibdrp/hrdb-rhbd/profil_e.asp

While weather-related hazards are part of a normal weather pattern, the occurrence of extreme weather events is expected to increase with climate change. Weather-related hazards affect the health and safety of Canadians, businesses, the economy, and the environment. The Government of Canada provides information to Canadians on weather; monitors and conducts research on climate and atmospheric science to enhance our ability to predict weather and the occurrence of hazardous and severe weather events; and provides warnings of extreme weather in order to reduce the risks to Canadians, so that they can take appropriate actions.

The number of weather-related disasters in Canada is one measure of the Government of Canada's efforts to minimize the risk of weather-related hazards. The change in Canadian and global temperatures are measures of the status of climate change. For more information, please see the Environmental Signals report published by Environment Canada.

The Government of Canada's Performance

Several departments and agencies contribute to the pursuit of Minimizing the Risk of Climate Change through their respective departmental strategic outcomes. In the electronic version of the report, clicking on the links in the table below will lead the reader to planning, performance and resource information, which is contained in the organizations' Departmental Performance Reports and Reports on Plans and Priorities. The Database, which can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/krc/so-rs_e.asp, also leads to relevant audits and evaluations.

Government of Canada outcome: Canada has a sustainable approach to its natural resources and healthy ecosystems

Why Is It Important?

Healthy ecosystems are important to the quality of life of all Canadians as they benefit their health, the environment and the economy. Ecosystems support an abundance of plants, wildlife and other organisms, and perform essential functions such as maintaining the earth's climate, cleaning air and water, maintaining nutrient cycles, pollinating crops, and helping to control floods and pest infestation. Canada's mosaic of ecosystems on land and sea, and along coastlines, is home to more than 71,500 known species of wild animals, plants and other organisms.

Despite Canada's seeming abundance of species and despite the appreciation of Canadians for nature and wildlife, our natural capital is at risk.

Ecosystem health and biodiversity are threatened by air and water pollution and human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation, mainly as a result of urbanization, agricultural intensification, and resource extraction. For example, agricultural practices such as tillage, wetland drainage, grazing, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides can negatively affect biodiversity. It is difficult to generalize about the effects of timber harvesting, since these depend on scale, intensity and method of harvest, and since animal and plant species respond differently to harvesting. However, harvesting economically valuable species while leaving others diminishes overall levels of biodiversity.

Other human activities also threaten ecosystem health. For example, in addition to commercial fishers, recreational boaters, ecotourists, cruise ship operators, off-shore oil and gas developers, and marine transport companies also compete for oceans resources. The growth of coastal and marine activities has resulted in ecosystem imbalances, reduction of fish and shellfish stocks, degradation of the marine environment, and the introduction of potentially harmful species.

While natural-resource-based industries can affect the health of ecosystems, they are important to Canada's economy. The forestry and commercial fisheries, for example, respectively employ about 360,000 and 50,000 people. In 2001, there were about 346,200 farm operators in Canada. Adopting a sustainable approach to the management of natural resources will help natural-resources-based industries to be economically viable while maintaining healthy ecosystems.

What is the Government of Canada doing?

The Government of Canada is working toward a more integrated approach to the protection, conservation and sustainable use of Canada's natural resources. The priority areas are wild living resources, stewardship of public and private lands, science and protected areas. In order to better protect land and marine ecosystems and ensure the sustainable use of marine resources, the government is also currently working on the establishment of ten new marine protected areas under the Oceans Act, five new national marine conservation areas and ten new national parks, and the expansion of three national parks. In the October 2004 Speech from the Throne, the government committed to introduce legislation that will strengthen the focus on the ecological integrity of national parks.

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Canada is committed to the sustainable use of its biological resources and to protecting biodiversity. To further this objective, the Government of Canada in collaboration with provinces and territories developed the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy (CBS), and proclaimed the Species at Risk Act to ensure the protection of Canada's species at risk and their critical habitat. The government also promotes forest sustainability and supports programs that aim at maintaining forest productivity and health and at protecting biodiversity. In the October 2004 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to enhance the rules governing oceans and fisheries; including rules governing straddling stocks.

Measures to Track Progress

The following indicators contribute to measuring Canada's progress in the area of a Sustainable Approach to its Natural Resources and Healthy Ecosystems:

• Biodiversity as measured by the change in status of reassessed species at risk. Biodiversity is defined as the diversity among living organisms; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems;
• Natural resources sustainability as measured by the status of commercial fish stocks.

Biodiversity: Species at Risk

Current Level and Trends

Since 1978, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has been assessing and reassessing the status of Canadian wild species suspected of being at risk. Under the Species at Risk Act, COSEWIC was designated as the independent body of scientific experts responsible for advising the Government of Canada on the status of species at risk. It comprises members from the federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as non-government representatives.⁽⁹⁾

By May 2004, COSEWIC had assessed 640 species, 444 of which are determined to be at risk (extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern). Between 1985 and May 2004, the status of 205 species has been reassessed. Of these, 16 are no longer at risk, 15 have been placed in a lower risk category, 112 have shown no change in status, and 62 have been placed in a higher risk category. This illustrates that, despite some successes, the state of biodiversity overall has deteriorated.

Natural Resources Sustainability: Commercial Fish Stocks Status

Current Level and Trends

The Government of Canada assesses commercial fish stocks on a multi-year basis. The status of fish stocks is based, when possible, on the current status of the mature portion of the stock relative to its historic status. For many types of species, however, mature biomass is difficult to estimate, and more appropriate indicators of trends in stock status are used. Species assessed vary every year and assessments exclude aquaculture production.

Among 102 commercial fish stocks assessed between 2001 and 2003, compared with their status in the early 1990s, 36 stocks were healthy and increasing; 22 were healthy and stable; and 44 were declining or depleted and not yet recovered.

Figure 6.8 is not a balanced representation of all Canadian fish stocks, because stocks in the North and Pacific Salmon stocks are under-represented due to their assessment schedules.

Supplemental Information

For more information on the protected areas, please see the Environmental Signals report published by Environment Canada.

The Government of Canada's Performance

Several departments and agencies contribute to the pursuit of a Sustainable Approach to Canada's Natural Resources and Healthy Ecosystems through their respective departmental strategic outcomes. In the electronic version of the report, clicking on the links in the table below will lead the reader to planning, performance and resource information, which is contained in the organizations' Departmental Performance Reports and Reports on Plans and Priorities. The Database, which can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/krc/so-rs_e.asp, also leads to relevant audits and evaluations.