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 |
____________________
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.