UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Releases 1997

[Index]

NEW SULPHUR PROTOCOL WILL SAVE US$ 9.5 BILLION A YEAR

4 September 1997

"According to estimates by experts at Imperial College, London, the new UN/ECE Sulphur Protocol will save US$ 9.5 billion a year in Europe alone by reducing damage to buildings. This is an opportunity countries cannot afford to miss," says Lars Nordberg, Deputy Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE). A recent study1 submitted to the UN/ECE Working Group on Effects and published by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, is based on empirical data gathered throughout the region. These cost data relate only to damage to buildings that the Protocol would prevent, they do not include the Protocol's positive impact on, for instance, human health or the environment as a whole, which would generate far bigger savings than those already assessed.

From this study it is also clear that the savings in eastern Europe are considerably greater than those in western Europe. Poland, eastern Germany, and the Czech Republic, which together encompass the 'Black Triangle', as well as Slovakia and Ukraine would benefit in particular. In western Europe, the United Kingdom would benefit the most, and considerable savings are also predicted for Italy, France and western Germany (see table below).

Estimated total annual savings from reduced damage to buildings
after implementation of the new Sulphur Protocol
(millions of US$ per year)
  Rural Urban Total
Eastern Europe 2,101 3,683 5,785
Western Europe 730 2,988 3,719
All Europe 2,832 6,672 9,504

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1 Economic Evaluation of Air Pollution Damage to Materials. Proceedings of the UN/ECE Workshop on Economic Evaluation of Air Pollution Abatement and Damage to Buildings including Cultural Heritage, published by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

The new Sulphur Protocol to the UN/ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution needs 16 ratifications to enter into force. It has already been ratified by 10 countries and six others have indicated that they would ratify it very soon. The Protocol is, therefore, expected to enter into force in early 1998.

In the annexed Interview, Mr. Vladimir Kucera, Chairman of the UN/ECE International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Materials and Director of Research at the Swedish Corrosion Institute, explains where the savings will come from and what should be done.