The biggest environmental issues in Canada are record wildfires, greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas, toxic oil sands tailings, fast Arctic warming, air pollution, unsafe drinking water in some First Nations, declining wildlife such as caribou and the toxic legacy of old mines. Canada matters far beyond its borders: it holds about 20% of the world’s total freshwater, according to the Government of Canada, and 9% of the world’s forests, including 24% of its boreal forest (Natural Resources Canada).
Canada had 41.8 million people on July 1, 2026 (Statistics Canada), and about 369 million hectares (912 million acres) of forest. Below are the eight main problems with the latest official figures, a summary table and what is being done.
Top 8 Environmental Issues in Canada
1. Record Wildfires
Fire is a natural part of the boreal forest, but recent seasons have been far outside the norm. By September 21, 2023, an estimated 17.5 million hectares (about 43 million acres) had burned, more than double the previous record of 7.3 million hectares set in 1989, and over 200,000 people were evacuated, according to a federal briefing note. For comparison, the 1990–2023 average was 2.9 million hectares a year (NRCan).
2025 was the second-worst season on record, with about 8.9 million hectares (22 million acres) burned and more than 75,000 people evacuated, at least three in five of them First Nations members, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. The smoke crosses the border too: a study published in Nature in 2025 linked smoke from the 2023 fires to about 87,000 premature deaths worldwide, including tens of thousands in the U.S., as reported by Live Science.
2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Oil and Gas
Canada emitted 685 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent in 2024, only 10% below 2005 and 0.3% below 2023, according to the 2026 National Inventory Report. The oil and gas sector is the largest source at 208 million tonnes, or 30% of the total, and its emissions are 5.1% higher than in 2005. Growth in oil sands production, up 254% since 2005, added 59 million tonnes.
That leaves a wide gap to the official targets: 40–45% below 2005 by 2030 and 45–50% by 2035. Policy has also moved in the other direction since 2025. The consumer carbon price stopped applying on April 1, 2025, while the industrial carbon price remains. Under a November 2025 agreement with Alberta, Ottawa agreed to drop the planned oil and gas emissions cap, as reported by Al Jazeera.
3. Oil Sands Tailings
Mining bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands leaves behind tailings, a mix of water, sand, clay and residual oil that is stored in large ponds. At the end of 2022, the ponds held 1.392 billion cubic meters of fluid tailings (about 368 billion gallons) plus 417 million cubic meters of mine water, according to the Government of Alberta.
Leaks are the main risk for rivers and nearby communities. At Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine, seepage first reported in May 2022 was not disclosed to nearby First Nations until February 2023, and a separate release of 5.3 million liters of wastewater followed. The Alberta Energy Regulator later found the company broke environmental law and fined it $50,000, the legal maximum, CBC reported.
4. Arctic Warming and Permafrost Thaw
Canada warms faster than most of the planet. Since 1970, the country has warmed nearly twice as fast as the global average and the Canadian Arctic about three times as fast, according to Canada’s Changing Climate Report 2026. Over the past 75 years, Canada as a whole has warmed by 2.0°C (3.6°F) and the North by 2.6°C (4.7°F), and another 1°C is expected between 2021 and 2040.
The report warns that thawing permafrost is transforming the North, where buildings, roads and whole communities stand on frozen ground, and that glaciers in western Canada will largely disappear by 2100.
5. Air Pollution
Outdoor air pollution was linked to 17,400 premature deaths in Canada in 2018, with an economic cost of $146 billion a year (Canadian dollars, 2020 values), according to Health Canada. Wildfire smoke adds to the toll: Health Canada estimates it causes several hundred to several thousand premature deaths a year.
6. Unsafe Drinking Water in First Nations and Algae in Lakes
For decades, many First Nations communities have lived under drinking water advisories, often because of failing treatment systems. As of April 16, 2026, 153 long-term advisories had been lifted and 40 were still in effect, according to Indigenous Services Canada.
Nutrient pollution is a separate problem. Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba experiences large and frequent algal blooms because of high nutrient levels. Federal projects from 2010 to 2021 kept about 270,000 kg of phosphorus out of the lake, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
7. Species at Risk and Caribou Decline
As of May 2025, COSEWIC, the national committee that assesses the status of wildlife, listed 864 species at risk in Canada: 378 endangered, 201 threatened, 263 of special concern and 22 extirpated (gone from Canada but surviving elsewhere), with another 25 extinct (COSEWIC annual report).
Caribou are the best-known example. Barren-ground caribou fell from more than 2 million animals in the early 1990s to about 800,000 by the time of the 2016 assessment, and four of seven subpopulations declined by more than 80%, according to COSEWIC.
8. Toxic Legacy of Mining
Canada is one of the world’s major mining countries, and some of the damage lasts for generations. At the former Giant Mine just outside Yellowknife, 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust left over from gold processing, are stored underground, according to the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Active mines carry risk too. When the tailings dam at the Mount Polley copper and gold mine in British Columbia failed on August 4, 2014, it released about 17 million cubic meters of water and 8 million cubic meters of tailings and other material into nearby lakes and creeks, according to the Government of British Columbia.
Canada’s Environmental Issues at a Glance
| Issue | Key figure | Source | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfires | 17.5 million ha burned (2023); 8.9 million ha (2025) | Government of Canada | Worsening |
| Emissions | 685 Mt CO2e (2024), 10% below 2005 | National Inventory Report 2026 | Flat |
| Oil sands tailings | 1.392 billion m³ of fluid tailings (2022) | Government of Alberta | Growing |
| Arctic warming | About 3× the global rate since 1970 | Changing Climate Report 2026 | Worsening |
| Air pollution | 17,400 premature deaths (2018) | Health Canada | Mixed |
| First Nations water | 40 long-term advisories still in effect (2026) | Indigenous Services Canada | Improving |
| Species at risk | 864 species assessed as at risk (2025) | COSEWIC | Worsening |
| Mining legacy | 237,000 t of arsenic trioxide at Giant Mine | Government of NWT | Long-term risk |
What Is Being Done
- Cleaner electricity. Hydropower supplied 55.2% of the 622 million MWh Canada generated in 2024, according to Statistics Canada, and federal rules require traditional coal power to be phased out by 2030. Emissions from electricity fell 57% from 2005 to 2024 (National Inventory Report). For the trade-offs of big dams, see our article on whether hydropower is renewable.
- Protected areas. At the end of 2025, Canada had conserved 14.0% of its land and freshwater and 15.5% of its ocean, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. It missed its target of 25% by 2025; the goal of 30% by 2030 remains.
- Single-use plastics. Only about 9% of Canada’s plastic waste is recycled, according to a federal briefing note. A federal ban covers checkout bags, cutlery, straws, stir sticks, ring carriers and some takeout containers, and in January 2026 the Federal Court of Appeal upheld the legal basis for it, so the ban remains in force.
- Clean water investment. The lifting of 153 long-term drinking water advisories shows that new treatment plants and trained operators work; the remaining 40 are the hardest cases.
Some Canadian climate policies changed quickly in 2025, including the end of the consumer carbon price and a review of the electric vehicle sales mandate. Check the latest government announcements before relying on any specific rule.
What You Can Do
Many of Canada’s environmental problems reach the U.S. through shared air, water and energy trade:
- Protect yourself from wildfire smoke. On smoky days, check the Air Quality Index, keep windows closed and run an air purifier with a HEPA filter; smoke from Canadian fires regularly reaches the Midwest and the Northeast.
- Cut your own fossil fuel use. Canada and the U.S. share one energy market, so lower oil and gas demand from efficient homes and electric vehicles on either side of the border eases the pressure to expand production.
- Put Canada in context. Our overview of global environmental issues shows how Canada’s problems fit the world picture, and our articles on environmental issues in Brazil and environmental issues in India show how other large countries compare. For a school project, our guide to human-environment interaction explains how people depend on, adapt to and modify their environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest environmental issue in Canada?
Climate change and its effects, above all record wildfires and fast warming in the Arctic. Canada has warmed nearly twice as fast as the global average since 1970, and the 2023 fire season burned more than twice the area of the previous record.
Why are Canada's greenhouse gas emissions so high?
Mainly because of oil and gas. The sector produced 30% of Canada’s 685 million tonnes of emissions in 2024, and oil sands production has grown 254% since 2005. Long distances, a cold climate and a resource-based economy also add to emissions per person.
Is Canada doing enough to fight climate change?
Its emissions in 2024 were only 10% below 2005, far from its target of 40–45% below 2005 by 2030. Electricity is already mostly clean, but several climate policies were rolled back in 2025, so the gap is unlikely to close quickly.
How do Canadian wildfires affect the United States?
Smoke from large Canadian fires travels hundreds of miles south and has repeatedly pushed air quality in U.S. cities to unhealthy levels. A 2025 study linked smoke from the 2023 fires to tens of thousands of premature deaths in the U.S.
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