VANCOUVER - Air quality in Metro Vancouver is expected to improve over the next 15 years in spite of smoke from wildfires, smog-forming pollutants and more vehicles on the road.
A report from the regional district says greenhouse gases are estimated to fall by 35 per cent and smog-forming pollutants by 70 per cent by 2035 because of more stringent standards for fuel and vehicle emissions.
Measures such as enhanced emissions standards for vehicles and appliances, lower-carbon fuels, and the wood stove exchange program are expected to decrease emissions by 10 per cent between 2015 to 2035.
Metro Vancouver Board chairman Sav Dhaliwal says climate change is having a significant effect on air quality, especially in terms of wildfire smoke.
The regional district posted air quality advisories for an unprecedented 22 days last summer because of smoke from wildfires that were burning primarily outside the region.
Adriane Carr, chairwoman of Metro Vancouver's Climate Action Committee, says the district's goal is to limit air pollution through regulatory, education and policy tools.
