UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE UN/ECE NEWS Press Release ECE/ENV/99/11
Geneva, 24 November 1999
NEW AIR POLLUTION PROTOCOL
TO SAVE LIVES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
On 1 December, Environment Ministers from Europe and North America will meet in Gothenburg (Sweden) to sign a new Protocol to the UN/ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. It will be the Convention’s eighth protocol since its adoption at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) exactly 20 years ago. And according to Lars Nordberg, Deputy Director of the UN/ECE Environment and Human Settlements Division, it is also "the most sophisticated environmental agreement ever negotiated and will yield great benefits, for both our environment and our health."
The Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone aims to cut emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia from energy generation, industrial sources, motor vehicles, agriculture and products.
Acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone continue to destroy our environment and to harm our health. For instance, acidification affects fish populations and forest soils in Europe and North America and causes corrosion of buildings and monuments. In sensitive areas, high nitrogen deposition results in eutrophication. Some plant species grow excessively and others disappear. In coastal and inland waters, blooms of - often toxic - algae deplete oxygen, harming plants, fish and other life forms. Industrial and motor vehicle emissions and the use of certain products (e.g. solvents and paints) cause ground-level ozone (‘summer smog’). Ground-level ozone damages lung function, particularly in children and asthmatics. Ozone also causes leaf injury in plants, including crops and trees, and causes mainly organic materials like paint or rubber to disintegrate. Finally, cutting the pollutants targeted by the Protocol will also significantly lower concentrations of particulate matter, which causes severe respiratory problems.
The Protocol sets reduction targets for all four pollutants. By 2010, Europe’s sulphur emissions should be cut by 63%, its NOx emissions by 41%, its VOC emissions by 40% and its ammonia emissions by 17% compared to their 1990 levels. Each country’s individual ceilings depend (a) on the impact that its emissions have on public
health and (b) on the vulnerability of the environment that they pollute. Countries whose emissions have the most severe health or environmental impact and whose emissions are the cheapest to reduce will have to make the biggest cuts. (See annex for individual countries’ targets. The sulphur, nitrogen oxide and VOC emission reductions of Canada and the United States will be incorporated when they ratify the Protocol.)
The Protocol also sets limit values for specific emission sources (e.g. combustion plant, electricity production, dry cleaning, cars and lorries) and requires best available techniques to be used to keep emissions down. VOC emissions from such products as paints or aerosols will also have to be cut. Finally, farmers will have to control ammonia emissions (manure, artificial fertilizer).
Once all the targets are met, the area in Europe with excessive levels of acidification will shrink from 93 million hectares in 1990 to 15 million hectares in 2010. That with excessive levels of eutrophication will fall from 165 million hectares in 1990 to 108 million hectares in 2010. The number of days with excessive ozone levels will be halved. Consequently, it is estimated that life-years lost as a result of the chronic effects of ozone exposure will be about 2,300,000 lower in 2010 than in 1990, and there will be approximately 47,500 fewer premature deaths resulting from ozone and particulate matter in the air. The exposure of vegetation to excessive ozone levels will be 44% down on 1990.
Furthermore, an analysis carried out during the Protocol’s negotiations has shown that its expected benefits (healthier population, higher agricultural productivity, less damage to buildings, etc.) far outweigh its estimated costs (e.g. end-of-pipe control or energy-efficiency measures) – probably by a factor of 3 or more. The total cost of achieving the Protocol’s ceilings amounts to some US$ 75 billion a year for Europe. "This sounds like a lot, but it’s a mere US$ 107 per European per year. It’s cheap at the price," claims Lars Nordberg. "After all, the benefits have been estimated at a staggering US$ 214 billion a year."
For more information, please contact:
Lars NORDBERG, Deputy Director
UN/ECE Environment and Human Settlements Division
Palais des Nations, office 346
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: (+41 22) 917 23 54
Fax: (+41 22) 907 01 07
E-mail: lars.nordberg@unece.org
Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/
Annex
EMISSION CEILINGS IN EUROPE
Table 1. Sulphur (thousands of tonnes of SO2 per year)
Emission levels |
Emission
ceilings |
Percentage emission reductions for 2010 |
||
| Party | 1980 |
1990 |
||
| Armenia | 141 |
73 |
73 |
0% |
| Austria | 400 |
91 |
39 |
-57% |
| Belarus | 740 |
637 |
480 |
-25% |
| Belgium | 828 |
372 |
106 |
-72% |
| Bulgaria | 2050 |
2008 |
856 |
-57% |
| Croatia | 150 |
180 |
70 |
-61% |
| Czech Republic | 2257 |
1876 |
283 |
-85% |
| Denmark | 450 |
182 |
55 |
-70% |
| Finland | 584 |
260 |
116 |
-55% |
| France | 3208 |
1269 |
400 |
-68% |
| Germany | 7514 |
5313 |
550 |
-90% |
| Greece | 400 |
509 |
546 |
7% |
| Hungary | 1633 |
1010 |
550 |
-46% |
| Ireland | 222 |
178 |
42 |
-76% |
| Italy | 3757 |
1651 |
500 |
-70% |
| Latvia | - |
119 |
107 |
-10% |
| Liechtenstein | 0.39 |
0.15 |
0.11 |
-27% |
| Lithuania | 311 |
222 |
145 |
-35% |
| Luxembourg | 24 |
15 |
4 |
-73% |
| Netherlands | 490 |
202 |
50 |
-75% |
| Norway | 137 |
53 |
22 |
-58% |
| Poland | 4100 |
3210 |
1397 |
-56% |
| Portugal | 266 |
362 |
170 |
-53% |
| Republic of Moldova | 308 |
265 |
135 |
-49% |
| Romania | 1055 |
1311 |
918 |
-30% |
| Russian Federation a/ | 7161 |
4460 |
||
| PEMA b/ | 1062 |
1133 |
635 |
-44% |
| Slovakia | 780 |
543 |
110 |
-80% |
| Slovenia | 235 |
194 |
27 |
-86% |
| Spain a/ | 2959 |
2182 |
774 |
-65% |
| Sweden | 491 |
119 |
67 |
-44% |
| Switzerland | 116 |
43 |
26 |
-40% |
| Ukraine | 3849 |
2782 |
1457 |
-48% |
| United Kingdom | 4863 |
3731 |
625 |
-83% |
| European Community | 26456 |
16436 |
4059 |
-75% |
a/ Figures apply to the European part within the EMEP area.
b/ Pollutant emissions management area.
Table 2. Nitrogen oxides (thousands of tonnes of NO2 per year)
Emission levels |
Emission ceilings for 2010 |
Percentage emission |
|
| Party | |||
| Armenia | 46 |
46 |
0% |
| Austria | 194 |
107 |
-45% |
| Belarus | 285 |
255 |
-11% |
| Belgium | 339 |
181 |
-47% |
| Bulgaria | 361 |
266 |
-26% |
| Croatia | 87 |
87 |
0% |
| Czech Republic | 742 |
286 |
-61% |
| Denmark | 282 |
127 |
-55% |
| Finland | 300 |
170 |
-43% |
| France | 1882 |
860 |
-54% |
| Germany | 2693 |
1081 |
-60% |
| Greece | 343 |
344 |
0% |
| Hungary | 238 |
198 |
-17% |
| Ireland | 115 |
65 |
-43% |
| Italy | 1938 |
1000 |
-48% |
| Latvia | 93 |
84 |
-10% |
| Liechtenstein | 0.63 |
0.37 |
-41% |
| Lithuania | 158 |
110 |
-30% |
| Luxembourg | 23 |
11 |
-52% |
| Netherlands | 580 |
266 |
-54% |
| Norway | 218 |
156 |
-28% |
| Poland | 1280 |
879 |
-31% |
| Portugal | 348 |
260 |
-25% |
| Republic of Moldova | 100 |
90 |
-10% |
| Romania | 546 |
437 |
-20% |
| Russian Federation a/ | 3600 |
||
| PEMA b/ | 360 |
265 |
-26% |
| Slovakia | 225 |
130 |
-42% |
| Slovenia | 62 |
45 |
-27% |
| Spain a/ | 1113 |
847 |
-24% |
| Sweden | 338 |
148 |
-56% |
| Switzerland | 166 |
79 |
-52% |
| Ukraine | 1888 |
1222 |
-35% |
| United Kingdom | 2673 |
1181 |
-56% |
| European Community | 13161 |
6671 |
-49% |
a/ Figures apply to the European part within the EMEP area.
b/ Pollutant emissions management area.
Table 3. Ammonia (thousands of tonnes of NH3 per year)
Emission
levels |
Emission ceilings for 2010 |
Percentage
emission |
|
| Party | |||
| Armenia | 25 |
25 |
0% |
| Austria | 81 |
66 |
-19% |
| Belarus | 219 |
158 |
-28% |
| Belgium | 107 |
74 |
-31% |
| Bulgaria | 144 |
108 |
-25% |
| Croatia | 37 |
30 |
-19% |
| Czech Republic | 156 |
101 |
-35% |
| Denmark | 122 |
69 |
-43% |
| Finland | 35 |
31 |
-11% |
| France | 814 |
780 |
-4% |
| Germany | 764 |
550 |
-28% |
| Greece | 80 |
73 |
-9% |
| Hungary | 124 |
90 |
-27% |
| Ireland | 126 |
116 |
-8% |
| Italy | 466 |
419 |
-10% |
| Latvia | 44 |
44 |
0% |
| Liechtenstein | 0.15 |
0.15 |
0% |
| Lithuania | 84 |
84 |
0% |
| Luxembourg | 7 |
7 |
0% |
| Netherlands | 226 |
128 |
-43% |
| Norway | 23 |
23 |
0% |
| Poland | 508 |
468 |
-8% |
| Portugal | 98 |
108 |
10% |
| Republic of Moldova | 49 |
42 |
-14% |
| Romania | 300 |
210 |
-30% |
| Russian Federation a/ | 1191 |
||
| PEMA b/ | 61 |
49 |
-20% |
| Slovakia | 62 |
39 |
-37% |
| Slovenia | 24 |
20 |
-17% |
| Spain a/ | 351 |
353 |
1% |
| Sweden | 61 |
57 |
-7% |
| Switzerland | 72 |
63 |
-13% |
| Ukraine | 729 |
592 |
-19% |
| United Kingdom | 333 |
297 |
-11% |
| European Community | 3671 |
3129 |
-15% |
a/ Figures apply to the European part within the EMEP area.
b/ Pollutant emissions management area.
Table 4. Volatile organic compounds (thousands of tonnes of VOC per year)
Emission levels 1990 |
Emission ceilings for 2010 |
Percentage
emission |
|
| Party | |||
| Armenia | 81 |
81 |
0% |
| Austria | 351 |
159 |
-55% |
| Belarus | 533 |
309 |
-42% |
| Belgium | 324 |
144 |
-56% |
| Bulgaria | 217 |
185 |
-15% |
| Croatia | 105 |
90 |
-14% |
| Czech Republic | 435 |
220 |
-49% |
| Denmark | 178 |
85 |
-52% |
| Finland | 209 |
130 |
-38% |
| France | 2957 |
1100 |
-63% |
| Germany | 3195 |
995 |
-69% |
| Greece | 373 |
261 |
-30% |
| Hungary | 205 |
137 |
-33% |
| Ireland | 197 |
55 |
-72% |
| Italy | 2213 |
1159 |
-48% |
| Latvia | 152 |
136 |
-11% |
| Liechtenstein | 1.56 |
0.86 |
-45% |
| Lithuania | 103 |
92 |
-11% |
| Luxembourg | 20 |
9 |
-55% |
| Netherlands | 502 |
191 |
-62% |
| Norway | 310 |
195 |
-37% |
| Poland | 831 |
800 |
-4% |
| Portugal | 640 |
202 |
-68% |
| Republic of Moldova | 157 |
100 |
-36% |
| Romania | 616 |
523 |
-15% |
| Russian Federation a/ | 3566 |
||
| PEMA b/ | 203 |
165 |
-19% |
| Slovakia | 149 |
140 |
-6% |
| Slovenia | 42 |
40 |
-5% |
| Spain a/ | 1094 |
669 |
-39% |
| Sweden | 526 |
241 |
-54% |
| Switzerland | 292 |
144 |
-51% |
| Ukraine | 1369 |
797 |
-42% |
| United Kingdom | 2555 |
1200 |
-53% |
| European Community | 15353 |
6600 |
-57% |
a/ Figures apply to the European part within the EMEP area.
b/ Pollutant emissions management area.