Canada · United States
Air Quality Agreement - Progress Report 2006

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Conclusion

Canada and the United States work to fulfill the obligations set forth in the Air Quality Agreement. Both countries' efforts to reduce acid rain and control ground-level ozone through the Agreement have been significant. However, both countries recognize that additional efforts are necessary to address ongoing human health and environmental problems, particularly in highly sensitive areas and within the Canada-United States transboundary region.

The Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement has been in place for 15 years and has proven to be a flexible and dynamic mechanism for bilateral environmental cooperation in reducing transboundary air pollution. The initial focus of the Agreement was on reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the major contributors to acid rain. Both Canada and the U.S. have surpassed the emission reduction requirements in the Agreement. The Ozone Annex was added to the Air Quality Agreement in 2000 to address the transboundary flows of ground-level ozone and precursor pollutants, NO_x and VOCs. Both countries are on track to meet their emission reduction obligations in the Ozone Annex as outlined in the 2006 Progress Report.

A hallmark of the Agreement's organization is its two subcommittees, one to manage program monitoring and reporting and the other to oversee scientific and technical cooperation and research. Projects and efforts undertaken by these groups foster greater integration of methods and shared ideas between the two countries. Relationships spawned by the opportunities of technical staff to interact have produced more complete emission inventories, new air quality models, research reports, and regular discussions and collaboration. The importance of these relationships in the effectiveness of the Air Quality Agreement cannot be overstated.

The Air Quality Agreement will continue to serve as the primary mechanism to pursue further efforts to improve transboundary air quality, such as the consideration of a Particulate Matter Annex, including the geographic scope of such an annex; examination of cross-border emissions cap and trade; and joint modeling and analyses to support many of these areas.