Statement

This week is Canadian Environmental Week and today, we recognize Canada’s Clean Air Day.

June 8, 2022 | Ottawa, ON | Government of Canada

This week is Canadian Environmental Week and today, we recognize Canada’s Clean Air Day. Clean air and a healthy environment are two of the foundations of good health. By protecting and improving our air quality, we can reduce asthma, cardiovascular disease, and many other adverse health effects related to air pollution.

Although the World Health Organization ranks Canada’s air among the cleanest in the world, air pollution remains responsible for 15,300 deaths across the country per year. To protect the health of Canadians, the Government of Canada is taking action to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Together, the federal, provincial and territorial governments are working to reduce air pollution from vehicles, power plants and industries across the country. Through collaborative actions between Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and provinces and territories, we are working to implement Canada’s Air Quality Management System (AQMS). This includes leveraging Health Canada scientific knowledge and expertise to review and set outdoor air standards known as Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS).

Evidence reveals that climate change is widespread around the world, including here at home. We also know that a warmer climate leads to worsened air pollution by increasing the number and severity of extreme weather events such as wildfires and floods. Increasing wildfire air pollution represents one of the most significant climate-related risks to air quality in Canada.

Extreme weather events caused by climate change are also affecting indoor air quality. In damp or water-damaged environments, toxic mould and bacteria can grow and cause health problems if inhaled. Luckily, there are many ways you can improve the air quality inside and outside your homes to protect your health. You can maintain your humidity levels between 30% and 50%, check your local Air Quality Health Index levels, and keep windows and doors closed and ventilation system circulating when air quality is poor.

Another simple step everyone can take to improve air quality and help fight climate change is leaving their car at home and taking alternative forms of transportation. Choosing active modes of transportation, such as walking or biking, reduces your emissions, and choosing routes away from high traffic areas helps to reduce your exposure to air pollution.

Climate change and extreme weather events can also threaten emotional well-being and result in serious mental health consequences such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. In Canada, one in five individuals experience mental health issues every year, and this number is predicted to rise in the years to come. Removing stigma around mental health is vital to creating resilience to the mental health impacts of climate change. If climate change is negatively affecting your mental health, you are not alone. Please reach out to friends, health professionals or use the Wellness Together Canada and the new mental health app, PocketWell. Both resources are free and available 24/7.

Our collective actions are making a difference and allowing all of us to breathe easier. Together, we will continue to protect our climate, improve air quality, and build a better, healthier future for our children and grandchildren.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P.

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, P.C., M.P.

Contacts

Marie-France Proulx

Press Secretary

Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

Minister of Health

613-957-0200

Maja Staka

Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and

Associate Minister of Health

343-552-5568

Media Relations

Health Canada

613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca