CIAC reports substantial drop in emissions over 20 years

OTTAWA—Chemical manufacturing resulted in 87 per cent fewer emissions in 2012 compared with 1992, according to a new report from the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC).

The 20th iteration of the CIAC’s Reducing Emissions released today says in the past two decades member companies have:

• Reduced emissions to water by 98 per cent

• Reduced emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 75 per cent

• Reduced benzene emissions by 98 per cent

• Eliminated 64 per cent of emissions of high-priority substances as identified by Canada’s Chemicals Management plan

• Reduced the global warming potential of their operations by 60 per cent.

Back in 1992, the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA)—now the CIAC—established a program, the National Emissions Reduction Masterplan (NERM), which required members to reduce and report on any emissions of over 800 harmful substances and make the information publicly available through CIAC’s Web site.

Substances that were particularly targeted by the CIAC were those identified as the most harmful by Canada’s Environment Protection Action (CEPA), the report says, including asbestos, benzene, mercury, VOCs, sulphur dioxide, and carbon dioxide.

This built on the Responsible Care program launched by the CCPA in 1985, which obliged members to transparently and continuously improve their environmental and health and safety performance, manage and reduce their emissions and to co-operate with entities such as communities and government throughout the process.

“Responsible Care is an ethic which guides the key decisions and actions taken by the Canadian chemistry industry, and an obligation to ‘Do the right thing, and be seen to do the right thing,’” explained Richard Paton, the CIAC’s president and CEO, in the report.

Energy efficiency has also been an effective means of carbon emissions, the report says. Member companies have implemented formal energy management systems to monitor energy usage that have resulted in process and process control improvements, advanced maintenance plans, equipment upgrades and lighting and insulation improvements.