EU Zero Pollution Action Plan

Launched on 12 May, the European Commission’s new Zero Pollution Action Plan sets out broad 2030 targets covering air, water, soil, biodiversity, noise and waste – but green groups argue it contains little in the way of concrete new commitments or targets.

The 2030 targets for air pollution include reducing the number of premature deaths attributed to air pollution by 55 per cent, and reducing by a quarter “the EU ecosystems where air pollution threatens biodiversity”, in both cases compared to base year 2005. The Commission also said it planned to bring limits for air pollution more closely in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

But civil society was largely unimpressed by the plan. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) said it “falls short on ramping up action to prevent pollution at source and instead mainly lists existing legal obligations and ongoing reviews”. The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) said “What is urgently needed is full alignment of EU’s legally binding air quality standards with the regularly updated WHO guidelines and the latest science.”

Sources: ENDS Europe Daily and EurActiv, 12 May 2021. More information: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en

Air pollutionEuropean Union

In this issue

Call to protect the cloud forests

Where the Andes meet the Amazon, you will find one of the earth’s richest and most important biomes. Its role has been overlooked in our efforts to mitigate climate change.

Editorial: GHG emissions must be halved by 2030

In August 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the UN body for climate science – adopted the first report of the IPCC 6th Assessment Cycle.

Symbolic CO2 threshold crossed

Concentrations of CO₂ are now 50% higher than at the start of the industrial revolution.

Energy targets need to be bolder

The European Commission’s proposal “Fit for 55” includes new targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency. They have to go further to be in line with the 1.5°C goal.

Emission limits still breached

While most EU member states met their binding national emission limits in 2019, significant further action is needed to achieve the reduction commitments set for the period 2020–29 and for 2030 onwards.

Material recovery opportunities from the clean energy sector

The exponential increase in renewable energy sources is vital, and it is important to enable the vast circularity potential of these technologies.

Toxic threat from wood burning

The burning of wood and coal for domestic heating is a major source of air pollutant emissions, contributing to more than half of primary PM_2.5 emissions in the EU. A new study compares the emissions from various types of heating options.

Norway’s future without oil

A rapid shut down of Norwegian gas and oil extraction is necessary to be in line with the Paris agreement. The loss of GDP may only be 1% in 2050 compared to business as usual.

Norway’s oil and gas market grows – NGOs call for phase-out

The major factor driving the market is the increasing development of new oilfields in the country over the forecast period 2021–2025.

Paying farmers for carbon

Although costs for monitoring, reporting and verification are high for many result-based schemes, the European Commission favours a wider implementation.

The rise of floating solar photovoltaic farms

Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history. To continue its expansion many have looked to the benefits of floating solar farms.

New EU farm policy supports business as usual

In the coming years the European Union will continue to fund intensive farming practices with only marginal tightening of environmental requirements.

Towards climate-friendly food production

We need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and nitrogen from what we eat. Nordic farmers and food producers show how it can be done in practice.

12 mega oil and gas projects to wreck 1.5°C chances

Five Years Lost: how finance is blowing the Paris carbon budget.

No future for nuclear power

Nuclear power has tried to reinvent itself for two decades with the so-called Fourth Generation and Small Modular reactors. Both have failed.

Main menu

EU Zero Pollution Action Plan

In this issue

Call to protect the cloud forests

Editorial: GHG emissions must be halved by 2030

Symbolic CO2 threshold crossed

Energy targets need to be bolder

Emission limits still breached

Material recovery opportunities from the clean energy sector

Toxic threat from wood burning

Norway’s future without oil

Norway’s oil and gas market grows – NGOs call for phase-out

Paying farmers for carbon

The rise of floating solar photovoltaic farms

New EU farm policy supports business as usual

Towards climate-friendly food production

12 mega oil and gas projects to wreck 1.5°C chances

No future for nuclear power

In Breif

EU Zero Pollution Action Plan

New European city air quality viewer

1.5°C to survive – Evidence from the IPCC Special Reports

Climate toolkit for Russian municipalties

Publications

Food for Thought

Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Collaborative-Learning project

Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

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