Agreements and Engagement
Air and Industry
Environment Canada uses a range of tools to protect the environment including non-regulatory agreements with industry that commit certain sectors or companies to specific challenges or performance levels.
Environmental Performance Agreements
Environmental Performance Agreements are agreements with core design criteria negotiated among parties to achieve specified environmental results. For industry participants, an Environmental Performance Agreement will stipulate clear and measurable performance standards and include effective accountability mechanisms.
Environment Canada has entered into two agreements respecting environmental performance with Ontario companies:
Engaging Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Business Air Quality Program Pilot
In support of the Great Lakes Basin Air Shed Management Framework pilot project of the Border Air Quality Strategy, Environment Canada has developed a pilot program to reduce criteria air pollutants generated by small-to-medium sized enterprise (SME) industrial manufacturing operations in Southwest Ontario.
The goal of the Business Air Quality Program (BAQP) pilot is to use best practices to identify opportunities for SMEs to reduce emissions of key criteria air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds), and to improve their environmental performance and economic competitiveness.
The approach of the program is to conduct facility assessments to review operations, processes, and equipment, identify sources of emissions, and evaluate opportunities for cost-saving improvements.
The BAQP provides financial incentive for the facility assessment by contributing 50 percent of the assessment cost, to a maximum of $5,000 per facility. Companies may also combine financial incentives from other programs to further reduce out-of-pocket costs.
The Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) is assisting Environment Canada with the delivery of the BAQP pilot by assisting companies throughout the facility assessment process. OCETA is coordinating its efforts with several organizations in Southwest Ontario ,such as the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention in Sarnia, and the Centre for Health, Environment and Safety in London.
For information on how companies can participate in the Business Air Quality Program, contact the Pollution Prevention & Innovative Technologies Division at (416) 739-5864.
Toronto Region Sustainability Program
Environment Canada, in partnership with the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), sponsors the Toronto Region Sustainability Program. This is an action and results oriented program in Toronto to advance the performance of small and medium enterprise (SMEs) and manufacturing operations in areas of sustainable development and environmental performance in line with existing Environment Canada objectives.
The program assists Toronto companies with fewer than 500 employees in achieving substantial reductions of emissions of criteria air contaminants and greenhouse gases, materials sent to landfill, and provides significant annual cost savings to the client. To date, 42 SMEs have completed pollution prevention assessments or are in the process of doing so.
Visit the Toronto Region Sustainability Program web site for individual case studies and more information about the program.
