Publications

The structure of the coal industry, its environmental effects, and the possibilities of phasing out the use of coal.

The 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution was the first multilateral treaty for dealing with air pollutants.
 

Up to the early nineties, EU policy in regard to air pollution had tended to be fragmented. Such directives as existed were either those setting air-quality standards for a few selected air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, or others to control emissions from certain defined sources such as large power plants and road vehicles.

Although the concentrations of air pollutants are in general on the way down in Europe, the problems remain considerable – especially as regards ground-level ozone and small particles. In some parts, too, the situation continues to become worse. In the following is a digest of the chief effects, causes, and permissible limits to the concentrations of the most pervasive pollutants.

Background report to the study above, describing the underlying alternative low-CO₂ energy scenario.