Thanks to wildfires, air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to a new report.
Published Tuesday, the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report found that air quality in Canada was worse than in the U.S. for the first time in the report’s history. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada, led by Fort McMurray and Peace River in Alberta.
“In 2023, air quality in Northern America was significantly influenced by extensive Canadian wildfires that raged from May to October, burning an area roughly half the size of Germany,” the report explained. “Consequently, 2023 marked the first instance in this report’s history where Canada surpassed the United States in regional pollution rankings.”
The report also found that only seven countries met World Health Organization air quality guidelines: Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand.
The World Air Quality Report is published by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company.
This story will be updated
