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2010 Commission continues action over levels of PM10 in member states The European Commission is pursuing infringement proceedings against five member states that failed to comply with the EU's air quality standards for airborne particles (PM10). Slovenia and Sweden are being referred to the European Court of Justice, while final written warnings have been sent to Cyprus, Portugal and Spain. In a separate case, Bulgaria is receiving a final written warning over its failure to control concentration levels of sulphur dioxide. Web link: Commission press release
Commission takes action against Sweden and Austria over missing industrial permits The Commission is sending final warnings to Austria and Sweden about some 70 industrial installations that are either operating without permits or with permits that are now out of date. Fifty of these plants are in Sweden, and 21 in Austria. Under European law, the permits should have been issued by 30 October 2007. Permits are only issued if a number of environmental criteria are met. Web link: Commission press release
Motor lobby attack on van CO2 law is not credible Some of Europe's biggest-selling vans are already close to meeting proposed EU CO2 targets for 2016 after making big improvements in fuel efficiency this year, according to T&E. Meanwhile the car industry lobby continues to claim that EU proposals for binding reduction targets are 'unrealistic'. That claim is not credible, says T&E. Web link: T&E press release
US makes progress toward cleaner air Since 1990, US air quality has improved significantly for the six common air pollutants: ground-level ozone, particle pollution, lead, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide. Emissions of toxic air pollutants, such as benzene, have declined about 40 percent nationwide between 1990 and 2005, accordig to new figures from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Dutch question Euro V benefits in urban areas Lorries meeting Euro V pollution standards emit three times more NOx than they are supposed to in urban areas, according to a Dutch note citing a study released by T&O in February. EU countries may struggle to meet air quality targets as a result, the note states. Source: ENDS Europe DAILY
Lung health under threat from climate change and deteriorating air quality Environmental health and medical experts are calling for more attention to be given to respiratory disease at a symposium during the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health today in Parma, Italy, as part of the 2010 Year of the Lung activities. People with respiratory problems will be hit particularly hard by temperature increases and poor air quality associated with global warming, according to the European Respiratory Society and the Health and Environment Alliance, leading organisations with expertise in environment and health. Recent scientific evidence shows that the risk of premature death among respiratory patients is up to six times higher than in the rest of the population for every one degree Celsius rise in temperature. Web link: www.env-health.org (pdf)
European Commission sets out strategy to reinvigorate global action after Copenhagen The European Commission today set out a strategy to help maintain the momentum of global efforts to tackle climate change. The Communication proposes that the EU swiftly begin implementing last December's Copenhagen Accord, in particular 'fast start' financial assistance to developing countries. In parallel the EU should continue to press for a robust and legally binding global agreement that involves all countries in real climate action. This will require integrating the Copenhagen Accord into the UN negotiations and addressing the weaknesses in the Kyoto Protocol. Active outreach by the EU will be key to promoting support for the UN negotiations and the Commission will undertake this effort in close contact with the Council and with the support of the European Parliament. Web links:
When goods get traded, who pays for the carbon dioxide? Popularly, China is a villain in climate change. But a new study published in the March 8 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that the carbon equation isn't as straightforward as we might think. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution of Washington at Stanford University synthesized carbon emissions and trade patterns and found that more than one-third of carbon dioxide emissions related to the consumption of goods and services in developed countries are actually emitted outside their national borders. Rich nations are essentially outsourcing some of their carbon emissions to developing nations through global trade - by importing goods and services from abroad - thereby shrinking their carbon footprints while inflating those of major exporting nations like China. "It's surprising just how much this effect is driven by the US and China," says Steven Davis, an ecologist at the Carnegie Institution and the lead author of the PNAS paper. Web link: Time Magazine
EU drafts reveal biofuel's "environmental damage" Biodiesel and other "green" fuels that Europeans put in their cars can have unintended consequences for tropical forests and wetlands, European Union reports show. The EU aims to get about a tenth of the road fuels from renewable sources such as biofuels by 2020. Modeling exercises are starting to show unwanted impacts spreading across the planet via commodity markets. Web link: Planet Ark
Summer ozone: record low concentrations in 2009 Ozone levels in Europe during summer 2009 were among the lowest since comprehensive data reporting started in 1997. Eighteen EU Member States reported exceeding the information threshold (ozone concentrations over 180 µg/m3), with Belgium, Greece, Italy and Portugal recording the largest number of exceedances. The record lows in 2009 came despite average summer temperatures close to those measured in the extremely hot summer of 2003, which witnessed the highest number of exceedances in the last decade. The differing results in the two summers may be attributable to several factors because ozone formation is determined by various meteorological conditions, as well as the chemical composition of the atmosphere. It seems likely, however, that reductions in anthropogenic ozone precursor gas emissions in Europe contributed significantly to the general decrease in peak ozone concentrations. Web link: EEA
Commission adopts biomass sustainability report The Commission today adopted a report on sustainability requirements for the use of solid biomass and biogas in electricity, heating and cooling. The report makes recommendations on sustainability criteria to be used by those Member States that wish to introduce a scheme at national level, in order to avoid obstacles for the functioning of the internal market for biomass. The report is accompanied by an impact assessment which shows that binding criteria would impose substantial costs on European economic actors, bearing in mind that at least 90 % of biomass consumed in the EU comes from European forest residues and by-products of other industries. Hence, the report concludes that at this stage, more detailed legislation is not necessary. Web link: Commission press release
More ambition needed if greenhouse gases are to peak in time Countries will have to be far more ambitious in cutting greenhouse gas emissions if the world is to effectively curb a rise in global temperature at 2 degrees C or less. This is the conclusion of a new greenhouse gas modeling study, based on the estimates of researchers at nine leading centres, compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The experts suggest that annual global greenhouse gas emissions should not be larger than 40 to 48.3 Gigatonnes (Gt) of equivalent C02 in 2020 and should peak sometime between 2015 and 2021. They also estimate that between 2020 and 2050, global emissions need to fall by between 48 per cent and 72 per cent, indicating that an ambition to cut greenhouse gases by around three per cent a year over that 30 year period is also needed. Web link: UNEP press release
Expanding the Eurovignette would bring net benefits Expanding the EU’s Eurovignette directive to cover pollution, noise and congestion would not disadvantage peripheral member states and would bring net benefits of at least €2.3 billion a year. Those are among the conclusions of a revised 'technical note' by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) following the breakdown of negotiations on the Eurovignette revision last year. Current EU rules on charging lorries for using road infrastructure prohibit governments or authorities from charging for 'externalities', despite EU transport policy being committed to internalising such costs. Web link: T&E
EU nations expect to meet renewable target The EU will meet its 2020 20% renewable energy target - slightly exceeding it - according to an analysis by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) of all 27 Member States' national forecast documents. The EWEA analysis shows that EU member states are on course to achieve over 20% renewable energy by 2020, with 21 Member States meeting or exceeding their national targets. The top 21 are made up of 13 Member States who predict they will meet their target and eight who forecast they will exceed their target. Web link: EWEA press release
Pollution the biggest killer on Britain's roads What is the biggest killer on our roads? It's not black ice, or drunk driving, or even badly installed accelerator pedals. In fact, it's air pollution – and it's getting worse. According to the most recent official figures – published back in 1998 – up to 24,000 people in Britain die before their time every year as a result of air pollution caused by vehicles, compared with 2,600 killed in road accidents. Web link: Telegraph.co.uk Ocean acidification is speeding up Carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels and dissolved in the ocean is making seawater more acidic and causing trouble for marine life. Now a new model suggests that seawater is acidifying at a rate that exceeds anything seen on Earth over the past 65 million years. The speed of change may in fact be faster than what marine animals can cope with. Web link: Planet Earth
EU must commit to green electric cars Putting more electric cars on the road could increase carbon emissions unless they run on green energy, says a new independent report commissioned jointly by Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace and Transport & Environment. The environmental organisations call for national renewable electricity targets to ensure electric vehicles are truly ‘zero emissions’. The study warns that existing EU legislation on car emissions is flawed because it allows manufacturers to use sales of electric vehicles to offset the continued production of gas-guzzling cars. So-called ‘super credits’ allow carmakers to sell 3.5 high-emitting cars for every electric car sold, without affecting their overall CO2 target. According to the report, increasing sales of electric cars to 10% of the total could lead to a 20% increase in both oil consumption and CO2 emissions in the EU car sector. Web link: Transport & Environment
Arctic melt to cost up to $24 trillion by 2050 Arctic ice melting could cost global agriculture, real estate and insurance anywhere from $2.4 trillion to $24 trillion by 2050 in damage from rising sea levels, floods and heat waves, according to a report "Arctic Treasure, Global Assets Melting Away," released on Friday. The loss of Arctic Sea ice and snow cover is already costing the world about $61 billion to $371 billion annually from costs associated with heat waves, flooding and other factors, the report said. The losses could grow as a warmer Arctic unlocks vast stores of methane in the permafrost. The gas has about 21 times the global warming impact of carbon dioxide. Web link: Planet Ark
EU budget can unlock a low-carbon Europe The incoming European Commission must set out ambitious budget reform proposals in 2010. A more focused EU budget would help support Europe’s transition to a low-carbon economy throughout this new decade. Independent think tank Green Alliance today publishes a new collection of viewpoints from diverse European businesses and NGOs, social organisations and think tanks. The report ‘unlocking a low-carbon Europe: perspectives on EU budget reform’ calls for concerted action to tackle together the challenges of responding to climate change and reforming the EU’s budget. Web link: Green Alliance
Global wind power boom continues despite economic woes The Global Wind Energy Council today announced that the world’s wind power capacity grew by 31% in 2009, adding 37.5 GW to bring total installations up to 157.9 GW. A third of these additions were made in China, which experienced yet another year of over 100% growth. Wind energy is now an important player in the world’s energy markets. The global wind market for turbine installations in 2009 was worth about 45 bn EUR or 63 bn US$. GWEC estimates that around half a million people are now employed by the wind industry around the world. Web link: Global Wind Energy Council
Major emitters set carbon goals after Copenhagen Fifty-five countries accounting for almost 80 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions have pledged varying goals for fighting climate change under a deadline in the "Copenhagen Accord," the United Nations said on Monday. Web link: Planet Ark
Health groups call for 40% target on carbon emissions Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWHE) and Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) are calling on EU Heads of States to increase the European target on climate change. They are seeking a 40% unconditional emissions reduction target by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. The reductions should be made through domestic action, which they say could bring substantial benefits in improving people’s health and reducing healthcare costs. Web link: press release (pdf)
Commission objects Italy's request for more time The European Commission today adopted a decision concerning a second request from Italy for additional time to comply with EU legislation on air quality. The decision relates to a request for temporary exemptions in 12 additional zones or agglomerations from the EU's air quality standards for airborne particles (PM10). The Commission decision approved a time extension for PM 10 in one air quality zone in the region of Campania but objected to all other requests. Some 20 decisions have already been adopted in 2009 one of them on an earlier request from Italy for different zones or agglomerations. The vast majority of air quality zones in the EU did not satisfy the conditions for a time extension, or were already found to be in compliance with the limit values. Web link: Commission press release EPA strengthens air quality standard for NO2 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a new national air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). This new one-hour standard will protect millions of Americans from peak short-term exposures, which primarily occur near major roads. Short-term exposures to NO2 have been linked to impaired lung function and increased respiratory infections, especially in people with asthma. Web link: EPA
European Commissioners urged to act now on ship pollution Three environmental groups have come together to urge the new European Commissioners to minimise the environmental and health burden of maritime atmospheric pollution through stricter legislation. In a letter to Commissioners-Designate Connie Hedegaard and Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik the Transport & Environment (T&E), the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and the Air Pollution and Climate Secretariat (AirClim) stress that environmental compliance is important not only from sea-going vessels, but also from marine fuel trading barges and onshore selling points. The letter stated that an EU Directive must be adopted to regulate the quality of marine fuels. It added that as there is currently "no mandatory international or EU marine fuel specification or control that will ensure the quality of marine fuels, such as there is for example for EU road transport fuels." Source: Sustainable Shipping News Last decade was warmest on record, 2009 one of warmest years 21 January 2010 A new analysis of global surface temperatures by NASA scientists finds the past year was tied for the second warmest since 1880. In the Southern Hemisphere, 2009 was the warmest year on record. January 2000 to December 2009 was the warmest decade on record. Looking back to 1880, when modern scientific instrumentation became available to monitor temperatures precisely, a clear warming trend is present, although there was a leveling off between the 1940s and 1970s. Web link: NASA
Asian ozone raising levels of smog in western US Ozone blowing over from Asia is raising background levels of a major ingredient of smog in the skies over western US states, according to a new study appearing in today's edition of the journal Nature. The amounts are small and, so far, only found in a region of the atmosphere known as the free troposphere, but the development could complicate US efforts to control air pollution. "The important aspect of this study for North America is that we have a strong indication that baseline ozone is increasing," said lead author Owen R Cooper, a research scientist at the University of Colorado attached to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Web link: The Guardian
Latest technologies keep a low profile in this year’s greenest vehicles Amidst continual buzz about innovative green vehicle technologies and the impending arrival of the first full-function all-electric vehicles in a decade, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today released environmental ratings for model year 2010 vehicles. The “greenest vehicle” title goes once again to Honda’s natural gas-powered Civic GX, while the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid claim spots two and three. New arrivals to the list this year are the Honda Insight, the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid (named the 2010 North American Car of the Year), and the Hyundai Accent Blue. The remainder of the list is comprised largely of highly fuel-efficient conventional vehicles such as Smart Fortwo Convertible at number four and the Chevrolet Cobalt XFE and its Pontiac G5 XFE twin at number ten. Web link: greenercars.org
Emissions from UK food industry far higher than believed The food we eat accounts for 30 percent of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report published by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network. Previous estimates put the figure closer to 20 percent, but this study is the first to incorporate land use change overseas, increasing the estimate of emissions attributed to food consumption in this country from 152 to 253 Mt carbon dioxide. Web link: WWF press release
European offshore wind power market grew 54% in 2009 In 2009, a total of eight new wind farms consisting of 199 offshore wind turbines, with a combined power generating capacity of 577 MW, were connected to the grid in Europe. This represents a growth rate of 54% compared to the 373 MW installed during 2008. For 2010, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) expects the completion of 10 additional European offshore wind farms, adding 1,000 MW and equivalent to market growth of 75% compared to 2009. Web link: EWEA press release
EPA plans to tighten smog limits The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday proposed tougher limits on smog than the Bush administration required, which would cost polluters up to $90 billion but save Americans a similar amount on health bills. Industry groups blasted the proposal, but the move won praise from environmental groups who had criticized the Bush administration for setting smog standards in 2008 that were looser than government scientists had recommended. Web links:
Linking air quality and climate change can be cost-effective If the effects of air pollution on climate change are included in air quality strategies, efficiency gains of €2.5 billion can be achieved in the EU, according to recent research. Various greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollutants both affect the climate and air quality, yet climate change and air pollution are often treated separately in environmental policy. Optimal policies to reduce emissions from air pollution based on health and crop damage could result in avoided damages for the EU of around €34.4 billion. If the effects of pollutants on climate are also included, total savings of about €36.9 billion could be achieved. The integrated approach thus yields a substantial efficiency gain of €2.5 billion. The researchers suggest that by including climate change damage in air pollution strategies, greater amounts could be spent on abatement measures since the benefits would be enhanced. Web link: Science for Environment Policy (pdf)
The outcome of the Copenhagen summit proved extremely disappointing as regards international aviation and shipping emissions. Although more discussion amongst countries on bunker fuels at the UNFCCC occurred in the past three months than during the last ten years, it proved impossible to bridge the continuing differences. Web link: T&E analysis |
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