Introduction
The David Suzuki Foundation publication, Canadian Solutions: Practical and Affordable Steps to Fight Climate Change (DSF, 1998), was prepared in collaboration with the Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development and outlined a number of greenhouse gas emission reduction actions that would be both ‘practical and affordable.’ Canadian Solutions preceded the work of the sector-based Issue Tables under the National Climate Change Process (NCCP) and anticipated a number of the actions and measures that have since been assessed by the Issue Tables to be feasible. The NCCP’s Analysis and Modelling Group (AMG) has a mandate to integrate the recommendations and data of the various Issue Tables and estimate the overall GHG emission reductions of the feasible actions and measures, including the environmental and health co-benefits of emission reductions of other pollutants that would accompany the GHG reductions. Co-benefits are indirect effects of reducing GHG emissions, as compared with the direct effects of reducing the GHG contribution to global warming and its impact on climate change. The direct effects are the subjects of an extensive literature. We do not address the direct effects in this study.
The NCCP’s Integrative group has the task of synthesizing the analysis and modelling results and the priority options from each Issue Table into a draft national implementation strategy to meet requirements of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The AMG will not report the results of its studies until later in 2000. In the meantime, in order to inform the discussion of the recommendations of the Issue Tables, the David Suzuki Foundation contracted with Alchemy Consulting to prepare a preliminary analysis of the environmental and health co-benefits of air quality improvements resulting from a small number of specific GHG emission reduction measures. The selected actions are either described in Canadian Solutions or are closely related to actions recommended there.
Co-benefits of greenhouse gas emission reductions may include all of the following
- Associated emission reductions of common (criteria) air contaminants (CACs), leading to improved air quality (with selected examples of the impacts)
- Reduced smog precursors (avoided health, crop & forest damage)
- Reduced acid rain precursors (avoided ecosystem damage)
- Improved visibility (longer visual range, clearer atmosphere, positive impact on tourism)
- Reduced materials damage from air contaminants (soiling and deterioration of buildings, ozone damage to vehicle tires and other rubber products)
- Reduced human exposure to toxic air contaminants (possibly related to lung cancer)
- Avoided flooding and other land requirements (lower demand for hydroelectricity & other generating facilities)
- Avoided community impacts (lower demand for transportation infrastructure, developed land use).
- Improved energy efficiency of the economy generally (job creation in existing industries due to improved efficiency and in new energy efficiency industries, recycling of dollars formerly spent on fossil fuels).
This study addresses only the potential air quality benefits from reduced emissions of CACs. Many other general economic benefits noted above would accompany the improved energy efficiency and enhanced community development that will result from measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but these are beyond the scope of this exercise.
Co-Benefits, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Canada |
