The high costs of inaction

Publication of a long-awaited EU proposal to tighten national emission ceilings (NEC) for air pollutants may yet again be delayed by the Commission.

The former Commission managed – without providing any valid motive whatsoever – to successfully manoeuvre to keep the revision of the NEC directive in limbo for five years. Judging from the statements this summer by Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik, it now appears very likely that the new Commission intends to continue stalling the urgently-needed revision of this essential legislation for another three years (see article below).

Air pollution by fine particles is estimated to cause 455,000 premature deaths every year in the 27 EU member states, corresponding to almost 4.5 million years of life lost (see Acid News 2/2010, p. 1). Another air pollutant, ground-level ozone, is responsible for some 20,000 premature deaths each year.

In the year 2000, deposition of airborne nitrogen compounds in the EU exceeded the critical loads for eutrophication (overfertilisation) of vulnerable ecosystems over a total area of close to 1.2 million square kilometres, or an area nearly 40 times the size of Belgium. The critical loads for acidification were also exceeded in 280,000 square kilometres of forest ecosystems.

Continued excess pollutant inputs to various types of sensitive ecosystems will sooner or later result in harmful impacts to biodiversity, and some of this damage will be irreversible.

It has been speculated that one possible motive for the Commission's non-action on the NEC directive is that the costs of implementing new 2020 emission ceilings would be high and that they would particularly affect the newer member states.

However, the most recent updated analysis of the costs for achieving the environmental objectives of the Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution (TSAP) shows that the incremental annual air pollution control costs for the EU as a whole would amount to approximately €1.4 billion in 2020, which would equal just 0.01 per cent of the EU's GDP in that year.

In everyday terms, this would cost each EU citizen just €2.70 each year, or less than one eurocent per day.

At the time of writing, no updated estimate of the monetised health benefits of implementing the TSAP objectives has presented. When this was last investigated about two years ago, these benefits were valued at between €22 and €70 billion per year. If this estimate still holds, and there is no reason why it shouldn't, the benefits of action exceed the costs by up to 50 times.

Most member states are struggling to meet mandatory air quality standards for fine particles and nitrogen dioxide, and as it looks now, the Commission will most likely have to bring several countries to the Court of Justice for failing to comply with the legislation.

A revised NEC directive would spur necessary emission abatement action across the EU, thereby facilitating compliance with the air quality standards. It would also bring significant health, environmental, and socio-economic benefits.

Any further delay in the NEC directive revision would clearly be both irresponsible and costly – protection of human health and the environment cannot be put on hold.

Christer Ågren

NEC Scenario Analysis Report Nr 7. Consultancy report prepared by IIASA for the European Commission, dated 27 August 2010.

In this issue

Air pollutant emissions to exceed limits

Only one in two member states expect to comply with their emission limits for all four air pollutants set by the EU national emission ceilings directive.

Free ride for company cars

The under-taxation of company cars in the EU increases annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from cars by between four and eight per cent, or between 21 and 43 million tonnes, a new study has found. The study also found that this under-taxation results in between eight and 21 million more cars on European roads.

Emission ceilings may be further postponed

The EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik is seeking to delay until 2013 the already long-overdue revision of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive.

Pollutant emissions fall

While air pollutant emissions from land-based sources in Europe continue to fall slightly, some reductions are countered by rising emissions from international shipping.

Agreement on Industrial Emissions Directive

Many years in the work, agreement has been reached on the new Industrial Emissions Directive, replacing seven existing directives and tightening standards – but not by enough.

New emission ceilings for 2020 underway

A new study shows significant scope for additional air pollutant reductions in Europe, along with the accompanying health and environmental improvements.

CAN supports 1.5°

The Climate Action Network (CAN), a worldwide network of over 450 nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), decided in August to adopt a new climate policy target.

1.5° is tough, but doable

A new report underscores that while a climate target of 1.5°C is difficult and filled with uncertainties, it remains feasible and achievable with the right level of ambition.

CCS in Europe: doomed

Reuters reports that a new study warns that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology might barely get past the testing phase in Europe as the economic crisis and a shift to green power destroys incentives.

CCS in Germany: emotional

A new draft CCS law in Germany has done little to resolve the ongoing conflict over the issue.

CCS in Norway: postponed

CCS has been delayed for another four years, in an admission it is far from "off-the-shelf".

Renewables industry says – we can power the EU!

A new report by the European Renewable Energy Council provides hope of a more coordinated industry low-carbon lobby – and shows how to do 100 per cent renewables by 2050.

Europe's worst polluters: much work to do

Despite some required improvements, Europe's dirtiest power plants still emit vast amounts of air pollutants. The "Dirty Dozen" are still big, and still dirty.

High benefits of ship fuel action

Implementing internationally agreed stricter ship fuel sulphur standards may save 26,000 lives per year and provide economic benefits to health worth up to 26 times the costs.