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2008 High potential to cut air pollution from Europe's power plants Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) from large combustion plants (LCP) could have been considerably lower in 2004, a report presented today by the European Environment Agency (EEA) says.
Web link: European Environment Agency EU biofuel policy likely to cause environmental destruction 6 May 2008 The EU’s biofuel policy is likely to cause large-scale environmental harm across the world, according to a new report published today by BirdLife International. The report is coming out ahead of revised proposals for sustainability standards in European legislation which, according to the organsation, remain disappointingly weak. Web link: BirdLife International press release "CCS is unproven, risky and expensive" Carbon capture and storage (CCS) aims to reduce the climate impact of burning fossil fuels by capturing carbon dioxide from power station smokestacks and disposing of it underground. Its future development has been widely promoted by the coal industry as a justification for the construction of new coal-fired power plants. However, the technology is largely unproven and will not be ready in time to save the climate, according to a new report, “False Hope”, published by Greenpeace. Web links:
Hazardous breathing in the US Web links: Energy performance of buildings The European Commission is planning to propose legislative changes to the directive on Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC) later this year. A public consultation is open until 20 June.
Web link: European Commission
Action to promote offshore wind energy The European Commission is inviting all interested stakeholders to help identify the key barriers for the further development of offshore wind energy in Europe and what might be done to overcome them. The consultation will be open until 20 June 2008. Web link: European Commission
Canada led G8 in greenhouse gas emissions growth
Slight decrease in EU15 greenhouse gas emissions
Web link: EEA
EU urges Bush to be more ambitious on CO2 curbs The European Commission urged US President George W Bush on Thursday to be more ambitious in tackling climate change while welcoming his acceptance that the United States would need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Web link: Planet Ark (Reuters) Calls grow for EU to 'suspend' biofuels push The EU must suspend its target of raising the share of biofuels in transport to 10% until a more comprehensive scientific study on their environmental risks is carried out, the European Environment Agency has said. The warning came as the World Bank joined the chorus of criticism against increased biofuel production. Web link: EurActiv.com
Windfall profits for dirtiest power generators
The study, commissioned by WWF from world-leading carbon market analysts Point Carbon, estimates that the windfall to electricity generators in just the five states of UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland over the current five year phase of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) could be between 23 and 71 billion euro. Windfall profits are generated when generators benefit from electricity prices reflecting the cost of carbon emissions while receiving the bulk of their carbon emission allowances (EU allowances) for free under National Allocation Plans.
Agreement in IMO to cut ship air pollution The sulphur content of all marine fuels will be capped at 0.5 per cent worldwide from 2020, the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) decided at a meeting in London on Thursday. The deal is much more stringent than expected. It will be confirmed by the MEPC's plenary body on Friday 4 April and should be rubber-stamped in October. "This is a real ocean-sized change for the IMO," said Eelco Leemans of the North Sea Foundation. "After a decade and a half of discussion and pressure from environmentalists around the world, the IMO has recognised the need for clean shipping fuels." Today, the maximum permissible sulphur content of marine fuels is 4.5 per cent, and the global average has been estimated by the IMO to be between 2.5 and 3 per cent. The new agreement means that the maximum limit will fall in stages to 3.5 per cent in 2012 and finally to 0.5 per cent in 2020. Special low sulphur zones, called Emission Control Areas (ECAs), where the sulphur limit now is 1.5 per cent, will face a stricter limit of 1.0 per cent in 2012 and 0.1 per cent in 2015. Currently the only Emission Control Areas are the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. David Marshall of the US-based organization Clean Air Task Force observed, "Meaningful global sulphur reductions are a long way off and countries that value the health of their citizens will need to adopt protective ECAs as soon as possible." Emissions of sulphur dioxide, a major air pollutants and an important precursor to health-damaging fine particles (PM2,5), are directly proportional to the sulphur content of fuel. A study presented to the IMO by the environmental NGOs showed that under a 'no action' scenario, sulphur in marine fuels will be responsible for more than 80,000 premature deaths per year in 2012. João Vieira from Transport and Environment said, "Despite this welcome move, shipping fuels will still be 500 times more polluting than road fuels. That's not good enough for Europe, with its bad air quality and dense population. We expect Europe to make the best use of these new provisions, and apply the strictest fuel limit in all its sea areas." Dragomira Raeva, Air Policy Officer of the European Environmental Bureau, commented, "Let's take the opportunity created by these new standards and make sure there is no backpedaling before October. Now is the time for EU decision-makers to designate the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Seas as low sulphur emission zones, consistent with the Baltic and North Seas, so all Europe's seas will be covered by the stricter set of sulphur standards when they are adopted by IMO." Low-sulphur fuels are currently not widely available and the IMO agreement calls for a 2018 review to check their availability; depending on its findings, the 2020 target could be postponed to 2025. Moreover, if a ship can demonstrate that compliant fuel is not available to it, it may be granted an exemption from the new limits. Also this week, the IMO reached preliminary agreement on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission standards for new ship engines in two steps. In the first step, emissions would be cut by between 16 and 22 per cent by 2011 relative to 2000, and in the second step by 80 per cent by 2016. The longer-term limit would only apply in specially designated areas, however. As regards existing engines, no significant reductions are expected - it was agreed that some of the largest existing engines from the period 1990-1999 should be fitted with an emission-reducing "kit" that are expected to be able to reduce NOx emissions by 10-20 per cent. Web link: NGO press release 2008-04-03
The beginning of the end for coal? 2 April 2008 With concerns about climate change mounting, the era of coal-fired electricity generation in the United States may be coming to a close. In early 2007, a US Department of Energy report listed 151 coal-fired power plants in the planning stages in the United States. But during 2007, 59 proposed plants were either refused licenses by state governments or quietly abandoned. In addition, close to 50 coal plants are being contested in the courts, and the remaining plants will likely be challenged when they reach the permitting stage.
Cars should plug-in to a new future 2 April 2008 Dramatically expanded use of plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles would be a way to a transport future that doesn't risk climate catastrophe. Such a move would also reduce the risk of conflict over less oil more and more concentrated in relatively unstable areas of the world, acoording to the report “Plugged In: The End of the Oil Age”, published by the WWF. Web link: WWF International
Ports will buy cleaner fuel to cut ship emissions
Under the incentive proposal, the ports would pay the difference between the price of bunker fuel and the more costly low-sulphur distillate fuel for vessel operators who make the fuel switch within at least 20 miles and out as far as 40 miles from the ports. Web link: Environment News Service Scientists warn of soot effect on climate Soot produced by burning coal, diesel, wood and dung causes significantly more damage to the environment than previously thought, according to research published today in Nature Geoscience. So-called "black carbon" could cause up to 60 per cent of the current warming effect of carbon dioxide, according to the US researchers, making it an important target for efforts to slow global warming. Web links: East Asia's emissions pollutes North America Close to 15 per cent of the air pollution over the western United States and Canada originates in East Asia, according to NASA researchers using the latest, most accurate satellite sensors. Their study offers the first measurement-based estimate of the amount of pollution from East Asian forest fires, urban exhaust, and industrial production that makes its way to western North America in one week. Web link: Environment News Service
Petrol vapour recovery consultation 18 March 2008 The European Commission proposes mandatory introduction of stage 2 petrol vapour recovery controls at service stations, according to a consultation document. A 1994 directive limits VOC emissions from petrol storage and distribution operations but there are currently no EU restrictions for filling stations. Stakeholders have until 25 April to respond. Web link: consultation document (pdf) New rules cut emissions from trains and ships
The rule provides for clean air standards comparable to those that EPA has adopted for large diesel trucks and buses, and for construction, mining and agricultural equipment.
Diesel fumes can affect your brain Inhaling diesel exhaust triggers a stress response in the brain that may have damaging long-term effects on brain function, researchers said on Tuesday. Previous studies have found very small particles of soot, or nanoparticles, are able to travel from the nose and lodge in the brain. But this is the first time researchers have demonstrated a change in brain activity. Web links:
EU fails to curb emissions from transport The transport sector in the EU must apply rigorous measures to help Europe meet its greenhouse gas emission targets, says a new report published by the European Environment Agency. With passenger volumes steadily increasing and freight transport growing at a faster pace than the economy, the movement of goods is becoming less efficient, in spite of technological progress. The study Climate for a transport change urges policy-makers to set challenging, but realistic targets for this sector, while addressing transport demand 'in a serious and unbiased way'. Web link: EEA press release.
EU must back long term car CO2 standards and strict penalties 3 March 2008 Transport and Environment (T&E) welcomes the broadly positive response of Environment Ministers to legally binding new car CO2 targets proposed by the European Commission in December, but urges all member states to back longer term targets, robust penalties and footprint not weight-based standards. Web link: T&E Press release.
EU funds for fifty harmful projects A new map with details of 50 environmentally damaging and economically dubious infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe was launched by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in Brussels today. Based on the most extensive investigation to date, the map entitled 'Cohesion or Collision?' shows controversial projects with a total cost of EUR 22 billion. The projects are either already financed, or planned to be financed, by EU structural and cohesion funds and/or the European Investment Bank (EIB). Web link: Friends of the Earth Europe press release.
Climate change threatens human rights of millions
Breathing dirty air may lower kids' IQ
Tipping elements in the climate system 13 February 2008
"Society may be lulled into a false sense of security by smooth projections of global change. Our synthesis of present knowledge suggests that a variety of tipping elements could reach their critical point within this century under anthropogenic climate change", the authors write in their conclusions. Web links: - Planet Ark (Reuters) - PNAS (full text article)
HELCOM backs steep reduction of sulphur emissions from ships
Wind energy leads EU power installations in 2007
Statistics released today by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) show that the installed capacity of wind power increased by 18 per cent last year to reach a level of 56,535 Megawatts. Despite this, some EU countries did not grow as expected.
Worsening air quality in Europe EU air quality has deteriorated over the last few years with respect to three major pollutants, the European topic centre on air and climate change (ETC/ACC) reports in a study released last Thursday. Particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone concentrations all exceeded legal limits in a "considerably" higher proportion of measured zones in 2005 than in 2001. Source: ENDS Europe DAILY 2476, 04/02/08 Web link: European topic centre on air and climate change
London launches low emission zone for lorries London will become a 'low emission zone' today, when transport officials launch a campaign to cut traffic pollution and improve the capital's air quality, the worst in Britain and among the poorest in Europe. The 49 million pound (US$98 million) scheme will use a network of cameras to monitor the emissions of large diesel lorries, later expanding coverage to smaller commercial vehicles, and impose heavy fines on those exceeding EU exhaust limits. Web links:
Cleaner ship fuel could save tens of thousands of lives Switching to low sulphur marine fuels can save 40,000 - 50,000 lives every year, according to a new study released by Clean Air Task Force (CATF) and submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). As the IMO, the United Nations body that regulates shipping across the world, began meetings in London this week to review and potentially tighten air pollution standards for the world’s shipping fleet, scientific research has found that the use of cleaner marine fuel could prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths from shipping air pollution each year. The updated analysis estimates that the number of people dying from heart and lung disease as a result of under-regulated air pollution from international shipping will total over 80,000 per year by 2012, but also found that this death toll can be cut by half or more by substantially reducing the sulphur content of marine fuel. Web links: - CATF Press release (pdf) - IMO submission (pdf)
Better management of municipal waste will reduce GHG emissions
Key messages:
Web link: EEA Briefing 1/2008 (available in 26 languages)
High Oil Prices Boost Energy Efficiency
Sustainable Energy Cities take the lead on climate change Today the European Commission launched the Covenant of Mayors, an initiative to involve the citizens in the fight against global warming. It comes after an informal consultation with numerous cities across Europe, whose Mayors will join the Commission in launching the Covenant. The Covenant consists of the formal commitment of the adhering cities to go beyond the objectives of the EU in terms of reducing their CO2 emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy actions. Almost 100 cities throughout Europe, including 15 capital cities, have expressed their early support for the Covenant.
Web link: European Commission press release
The "Climate action and renewable energy package" 23 January 2008 Today the European Commission put forward a package of proposals that will deliver on the European Union's commitments to fight climate change and promote renewable energy up to 2020 and beyond. The EU has committed to reducing its overall emissions to at least 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, and is ready to scale up this reduction to as much as 30% under a new global climate change agreement if other developed countries make comparable efforts. Web links: - Climate Action Network Europe
HELCOM calls for tighter IMO regulations to reduce NOx from ships 10 January 2008
One degree global warming = 20,000 deaths a year 3 January 2008
Jacobson arrived at his results of the impact of carbon dioxide globally and, at higher resolution, over the United States by modeling the changes that would occur when all current human and natural gas and particle emissions were considered versus considering all such emissions except human-emitted carbon dioxide.
California sues EPA for rejecting emissions law 2 January 2008
Milan drivers face pollution charge
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