North Carolina residents are breathing the cleanest air in decades, thanks to long-term declines in harmful pollutants like ozone and fine particles.
The latest report from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality shows emissions of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide hit record lows in 2022, with sharp reductions in other pollutants since 1990.
Officials credit tighter regulations, cleaner power sources, and improved vehicle standards for these improvements—even as the state’s population and economy grow. Notably, sulfur dioxide emissions have dropped 95%, carbon monoxide 74%, and nitrogen oxides 71% since 1990. Air pollutant levels have stayed below federal health standards for over a decade.
With North Carolina increasingly shifting to solar, wind, and nuclear power, along with more electric vehicles on the road, leaders expect air quality to keep getting better.
Some additional findings of the updated report:
- The number of ozone exceedance days statewide continues to be low. From 2015-2024, North Carolina recorded just two days of “Code Red” or above for ozone in the state, compared to 83 such days from 2005-2014.
- Visibility in our national and state parks has improved noticeably in the last three decades, due to reductions in emissions of SO2, NOx and other air pollutants that scatter light. For example, in 2023, visitors could see as far as 119 miles at Great Smoky Mountains National Park during an average clear day, compared with just 54 miles in 1996.
- Net greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion have decreased by 38% from 2005 to 2020 due to both a shift in fuel use and increased energy efficiency. During this same period, North Carolina’s population and real Gross State Product grew by 20% and 23%, respectively.
- From 1993-2022, combined emissions of federally designated Hazardous Air Pollutants and state-designated Toxic Air Pollutants have fallen by more than 108 million pounds, an 82% drop.
