France adopts national air pollution plan

Electric vehicle capitals

In March, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) published a report titled “Electric Vehicle Capitals of the World – Demonstrating the Path to Electric Drive” assessing major cities around the world with high electric vehicle uptake and summarising their policies, charging infrastructure, and consumer awareness activities in place to help develop the electric vehicle market in those cities. The report also includes a comparison of vehicle life-cycle emissions data.

The top markets by electric vehicle share of new passenger vehicles are Oslo (27%), Utrecht (15%), Shanghai (11%), Shenzhen (10%), Amsterdam (10%), and San Jose (9.4%). In terms of total volume, the highest annual sales markets are Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Beijing, which recorded between 18,000 and 42,000 new electric vehicle registrations in 2015.

Source: AECC Newsletter, March 2017
Link: www.theicct.org

Global warming will thaw more permafrost than previously thought

The UK Met Office reports that “global warming will thaw about 20 per cent more permafrost than previously thought, scientists have warned – potentially releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the Earth’s atmosphere. A new international research study, including climate change experts from the University of Leeds, University of Exeter and the Met Office, reveals that permafrost is more sensitive to the effects of global warming than previously thought. The study, published in Nature Climate Change, suggests that nearly 4 million square kilometres of frozen soil – an area larger than India – could be lost for every additional degree of global warming experienced. Permafrost is frozen soil that has been at a temperature of below 0°C for at least two years. Large quantities of carbon are stored in organic matter trapped in the icy permafrost soils. When permafrost thaws the organic matter starts to decompose, releasing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane which increase global temperatures. It is estimated that there is more carbon contained in the frozen permafrost than is currently in the atmosphere.”

“Recent studies have shown that the Arctic is warming at around twice the rate as the rest of the world, with permafrost already starting to thaw across large areas. The researchers, from Sweden and Norway as well as the UK, suggest that the huge permafrost losses could be averted if ambitious global climate targets are met. Lead-author Dr Sarah Chadburn of the University of Leeds said: ‘A lower stabilisation target of 1.5°C would save approximately two million square kilometres of permafrost. Achieving the ambitious Paris Agreement climate targets could limit permafrost loss. For the first time we have calculated how much could be saved.’”

“This allowed them to calculate the amount of permafrost that would be lost under proposed climate stabilisation targets. As co-author Professor Peter Cox of the University of Exeter explained: ‘We found that the current pattern of permafrost reveals the sensitivity of permafrost to global warming.’ The study suggests that permafrost is more susceptible to global warming than previously thought, as stabilising the climate at 2°C above pre-industrial levels would lead to thawing of more than 40 per cent of today’s permafrost areas.”

Source: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/2017/climate-targets-to-constr...

MEPs agree to halve food waste by 2030

The resolution, which is based on a report by a Croatian social democrat, suggests over 300 changes and the EU environment committee chose to back up a lot of important suggestions, even if they rejected several of them. The report shows that about 88 million tonnes of food is thrown away every year across Europe. 53 per cent of all food waste comes from households and 19 per cent is lost in food processing.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) want the EU executive to design a “common methodology, including minimum quality requirements, for the uniform measurement of the food waste levels” by the end of 2017.

MEPs also want the commission to find new ways of taking care of food that has reached the expiry date. Among other things, the resolution calls for a change in the value-added tax (VAT) directive that would mean almost zero VAT rate for food donations that are made close to the expiry date. MEPs also want the commission to determine if legally-binding food waste reduction targets should be set up.

Source: ENDS Europe, 11 April 2017

People want more information about climate change and food systems

A recent public survey commissioned by the Global Food Security (GFS) programme, shows that the majority of British adults tend to agree that a key contributor to climate change is our current food system. The participants agreed that we could reduce the impact of climate change significantly if we changed our diets.

According to the study, young adults, aged 18–24, are the group that agrees most with the statement that changes in our diets could reduce the impact of food on climate change. Young adults are most likely to change their diets to vegetarian or vegan, while adults aged 65+ would rather buy more seasonal food than change their entire diets.

British adults are more likely to change their diets in terms of health, cost and convenience rather than ethics or climate change. The participants tend to know less about the relationship between food system and climate change and more about rising temperatures and weather conditions. A majority of the British adults in the study think that more information is needed and that it would help people to make the right choices.

Public attitudes to climate shocks and their interaction with the food system, February 2017

http://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/assets/pdfs/public-attitudes-climatic-shoc...

Madrid to halve traffic emissions by 2030

In a bid to crackdown on air pollution, Madrid’s city government has announced a plan that includes the creation in 2018 of a “zero emissions zone” in the entire city centre open only to residents’ vehicles, taxis and deliveries.

The speed limit on Madrid’s peripheral motorways will be reduced to 70 km/h, and the major arteries in the area inside the peripheral motorways will be redesigned by 2019 to give priority to pedestrians, bikes and public transport. Madrid’s bus fleet will be 100% low-emission by 2020, all new taxis will be electric or low-emission from 2018 and fiscal, access and parking incentives will gradually be introduced for electric and low-emission vehicles from 2018 to 2025.

Further measures to tackle emissions from the residential and office sector include a ban on coal-fired heating systems from 2020, the regulation of biomass heating, and fiscal and other incentives to promote energy-efficient boilers and solar and geothermal electricity production. The plan has a budget of €544 million from 2017 to 2020.

Source: Ends Europe Daily, 15 March 2017.

EU must step up car fuel efficiency

The improvement of car fuel efficiency must be speeded up in order to meet the EU target for 2021, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). Provisional figures released by the EEA put average CO₂ emissions of new passenger cars sold in the EU in 2016 at 118.1 grams of CO₂ per km, a drop of only 1.2 per cent compared to 2015. This reduction is the smallest annual improvement recorded since 2006 for new cars sold in the EU.

Although the EU remains well below its target of 130 g CO₂/km set for 2015, it is clear that compared to 2016, annual improvements in efficiency need to significantly increase in each of the coming five years in order to achieve the emissions target of 95 g CO₂/km by 2021.

While the share of diesel vehicle sales fell, they still remain the most sold vehicle type in the EU, representing 49.4 per cent of new car sales, followed by petrol vehicles (47%), and alternatively fuelled vehicles (3.3%, including electric vehicles). The average diesel vehicle sold was 302 kg heavier than the average petrol vehicle.

Portugal (105 g CO₂/km) together with Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands (106 g CO₂/km) are the countries having the most fuel-efficient new cars sold. The least fuel-efficient cars continue to be bought in Estonia (134 g CO₂/km).

Source: EEA press release, 20 April 2017 (www.eea.europa.eu)

Fossil-fuelled cars should pay their health bill

Environmental group Bellona has estimated that if the heavy human health costs caused by exhaust emissions from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in the EU were to be borne by car makers, an average conventionally fuelled car would have to pay back €2,371 per year to correctly compensate the public. In other words, the unaccounted for human health cost of a fossil vehicle during its lifetime would be roughly €23,715, which in turn would result in the doubling of the average ICE car’s sticker price to €50,150.

In its new brief “Rethinking the cost of conventionally fuelled road transport – Getting the car industry to pay the human health bill”, Bellona concludes that electro-mobility is the only viable cost-effective approach to drastically reduce damaging air pollution and safeguard human health. In contrast to ICE cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), pure battery electric vehicles (EVs) produce no exhaust emissions and consequently cause less pollution in general.

Source: Euractiv.com, 6 April 2017
Link to the policy brief: http://bellona.org

CO2 emissions dropped 1.7 % in the US in 2016

Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the US dropped 1.7 per cent in 2016 due largely to significant decreases in coal use, according to the Energy Information Administration.

That 1.7 per cent is less than the 2.7 per cent drop seen over 2015, the agency said. Domestic consumption of, and emissions from, natural gas and oil each rose about 1 percent last year, while coal use dropped 8.6 per cent, the EIA reported.

The CO₂ emissions reductions were primarily realised in the electric sector, which lowered its emissions last year by 4.9 per cent. A simultaneous 1.9 per cent increase in emissions from transportation meant that sector overtook electricity production as the top emitter for the first time. Overall the US economy’s carbon intensity, a comparison of emissions and gross domestic product, decreased 3.3 per cent in 2016, compared with a 5.3 per cent decrease in 2015, according to EIA.

Source: Politico, April 2017
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=30712

The first autonomous electric container ship

Norwegian fertilizer producer Yara and maritime technology firm Kongsberg are teaming up to build what they say will be the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container feeder ship. The vessel, to be named Yara Birkeland, is planned to start operation in 2018 as a manned vessel before moving to remote operation in 2019, and later to fully autonomous operation from 2020 onwards. It will cut emissions and boost road safety by removing up to 40,000 diesel-powered truck journeys per year.

“The new zero-emission vessel will be a game-changer for global maritime transport, contributing to meet the United Nations’ sustainability goals,” the companies said.

Source: globenewswire.com, 10 May 2017

Paris launches urban air pollution watchdog

In March, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo presented the Global Urban Air Pollution Observatory (GUAPO) to the Paris city council, and Abidjan, London, Mexico and Rotterdam have already committed to joining, while Athens, Montréal, New York City, Peking and Tokyo are in discussions to join.

The new observatory will operate under an estimated €500,000 annual budget and is intended to serve as a clearing house for best practices around air quality in cities, including techniques for accurately measuring air pollutants and public policies to improve air quality. The aim is to help cities across the globe to assess and solve the problem of dangerous air.

The observatory is expected to commence its work following a June public unveiling in Rotterdam.

Source: Citiscope, 20 April 2017.
Link: http://citiscope.org/story/2017/paris-launches-global-urban-air-pollutio...

France adopts national air pollution plan

A plan adopted in early May by the outgoing French environment minister, Ségolène Royal, sets new legal limits on air pollutant emissions up to 2030, in line with the emission reduction commitments under the EU’s National Emission Ceilings (NEC) directive.

The decree requires the country to cut sulphur dioxide emissions by 77 per cent by 2030, compared to 2005 values. Emissions of nitrogen oxides will need to fall by 69 per cent, particulate matter by 57 per cent, volatile organic compounds by 52 per cent and ammonia by 13 per cent. The 2030 targets will be preceded by interim goals for 2020 and 2025.

Source: Ends Europe Daily, 10 May 2017

Italy must take action on air quality

On 27 April, Italy received a final warning from the European Commission because of failure to address persistently high levels of particulate matter (PM₁₀). More than 66,000 people die prematurely in Italy each year as a result of PM pollution, making it the most affected of all EU countries, according to estimates by the European Environment Agency.

The final warning applies to 30 air quality zones across Italy, where the daily limit values for PM10 have been exceeded since they came into force in 2005. In addition, the warning also refers to exceedances of the annual limit value in nine zones. If Italy fails to act within two months, the case may be referred to the EU Court of Justice (ECJ).

The Commission is currently pursuing infringement actions for excessive levels of PM10 against 16 member states, and two of these cases (against Bulgaria and Poland) have been brought before the ECJ. Legal action has also been initiated on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), so far involving twelve member states.

Source: European Commission press release, 27 April 2017
Information: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/legislation/index.htm