Metro Vancouver establishes outdoor air quality objectives to protect public health and the environment. Our air quality objectives are some of the most stringent in the world.
Metro Vancouver establishes ambient air quality objectives for the region, which are typically used to:
- Assess and provide context to current or historical air quality and trends;
- Guide air management decisions, such as issuance of air permits for new or modified facilities;
- Guide decisions on air quality warnings or bulletins;
- Develop long-term air quality management strategies and evaluate progress; and
- Support development of air quality regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives.
The Metro Vancouver Board is committed to continuous improvement in air quality. While the objectives correspond to an acceptable level for each air contaminant, public health and the environment are better protected at concentrations below the objectives.