Canada Unveils New Emissions Standards

OTTAWA – The Canadian government has announced changes to new vehicle and fuel standards for on-road vehicles to reduce air pollution and align them with U.S. regulations.

The Tier 3 regulations will introduce more stringent air pollutant emission standards for new passenger cars, light-duty trucks and certain commercial vehicles, such as delivery vans, starting with the 2017 model year. They will also lower limits on the allowable sulfur content of gasoline beginning in 2017.

The transportation sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of Canadian greenhouse gas emissions and is a major source of smog forming air pollutant emissions, according to the Environment Canada.

Smog refers to a mixture of gases and particles that often appears as a haze in the air and it has been linked to a number of adverse effects on health and the environment.

According to Environment Canada, air pollutant emissions from vehicles and fuels continue to decrease as a result of regulatory actions. Specifically, total emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from passenger vehicles and light trucks operated on Canadian roads decreased by almost 40 percent from 2006 to 2013.

Once the Tier 3 vehicle standards take full effect with the 2025 vehicle model year, the new standards will represent a reduction of up to 80 percent in smog-forming air pollutant emissions for new vehicles compared to the current Tier 2 vehicle standards, according to the government. Changes to sulfur in gasoline regulations will reduce the allowable sulfur content of gasoline by nearly 70 percent beginning in 2017.

By 2030, Environment Canada estimates the Tier 3 vehicle and fuel standards will result in cumulative health and environmental benefits of $7.5 billion and cumulative fuel and vehicle related costs of $2.7 billion.

 


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