Thousands of sources release air contaminants everyday. Emission sources range in size from to your vehicle and your household furnace, to small businesses and large-scale industrial operations. 

Metro Vancouver compiles detailed emission inventories on a regular basis and uses the information for a variety of purposes including:
• Determining the percentage of emissions from each source category,
• Evaluating the success of emission reduction programs, and
• Forecasting future emissions.
Emission inventories describe the types and amounts of air contaminants released into the air by different types of sources.

The most recent inventory for the Lower Fraser Valley shows that human activities play a major role in air quality in the Lower Fraser Valley airshed. Emission forecasts help us predict how emissions may change in the future, as our population continues to grow and the demand for energy increases.

Air contaminants that can form smog are a key part of the emissions released each year. For the purposes of our emissions inventory, these "smog-forming contaminants" include:
• nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
• sulphur oxides (SOx), and
• ammonia (NH3).

In cooperation with other local, provincial and federal agencies, Metro Vancouver has become a Canadian leader in introducing programs to reduce emissions.

For residents
Lower Fraser Valley emission inventories continue to indicate that motor vehicle emissions are the largest single source of air contaminants. The AirCare program and the Scrap-It program are two ongoing efforts to reduce the large volumes of air pollution produced by passenger and light-duty vehicles.

For businesses
To help Lower Mainland businesses reduce their air emissions, increase their efficiency and become more competitive, Metro Vancouver has developed SmartSteps. The SmartSteps program provides businesses with tools, technical assistance and information that will help them implement specific, cost-effective actions to reduce the amount of materials and energy they use.

The BuildSmart Web site is a partnership initiative coordinated by Metro Vancouver to help municipal, institutional, commercial and industrial building owners and managers achieve efficiencies through building retrofits. The Web site is a comprehensive resource for information, programs, incentives and assistance for evaluating and implementing energy and resource management building retrofits.

For air quality researchers
All basic and applied research projects related to air quality management issues within British Columbia may be eligible for support from the BC Clean Air Research (BC CLEAR) Fund. The Fund supports research relevant to BC that helps further understanding of the nature of air quality, the physical processes involved (atmospheric, emissions, transformations), their effects on the environment and humans, and how they are effectively managed.

The BC CLEAR Fund is jointly managed by the BC Ministry of Environment, Metro Vancouver and Environment Canada, with the Fraser Basin Council acting as the Fund secretariat.