Download This Issue
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NO. 4, DECEMBER 2016 End derogations for polluting coal plants Effective regulation of air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants could prevent 20,000 premature deaths every year. ► Page 3 A Europe powered only with renewable energy This vision was launched in 1992 from within the world-leading power equip- ment company ABB. ► Page 6 Climate target for agriculture A new study proposes that the agricul- tural sector needs to reduce emissions by 1 billion tonnes of CO2e per year by 2030 to contribute to the 2°C target. ► Page 11 Air pollution costs trillions © LARS-ERIK HÅKANSSON LARS-ERIK © Premature deaths due to air pollution cause annual global costs of about US$225 billion in lost work days, and more than US$5 trillion in welfare losses, according IMO confirms to a new study. ► Page 13 Germany’s slow 2020 date decarbonisation Implementing the global rule to restrict the sulphur content Germany must still eliminate 145 Mt in marine fuel oil to 0.5 per cent will cut shipping SO2 emis- of annual greenhouse gas emissions to sions by nearly 80 per cent and prevent more than 100,000 achieve its 2020 climate target, 16 per annual premature deaths. cent below current levels. A decision to ► Page 15 introduce a global 0.5 per compliant fuel oil would be available cent cap on the content of sulphur in marine to meet the fuel oil requirements by 1 Unique opportunity for fuel by 2020 was originally agreed by the January 2020. United Nations International Maritime The IMO’s fuel oil availability assess- Ukraine Organization (IMO) back in 2008. At the ment study1 was submitted to its Marine The changed geopolitical situation in same time, it was also agreed that a review Environment Protection Committee Ukraine has led to an energy crisis, should be undertaken by 2018 in order to (MEPC), and discussed at its 70th ses- and the country is now at a crossroads: assess whether sufficient compliant fuel sion held in London on 24–28 October. sticking with coal and nuclear power or oil would be available to meet the 2020 The current global sulphur limit for investing in renewables? date. If not, the date might be deferred marine heavy fuel oil (HFO) is set at 3.5 ► Page 19 to 2025. That review was completed this Page 4 summer, and concluded that sufficient Editorial A newsletter from the Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat, the primary aim of which is to It is now finally settled that the global cap manoeuvre to delay environmental action provide information on air pollution and its effects on health and the environment. of 0.5 per cent for the sulphur content of for much too long and it is not accept- the fuel oil used by ships will apply from 1 able for the shipping industry to keep Anyone interested in these matters is invited January 2020. This is a significant reduc- on transferring the cost of its pollution to contact the Secretariat. All requests for information or material will be dealt with to tion from the current cap of 3.5 per cent to society at large. the best of our ability. Acid News is available and it will cut shipping SO2 emissions by It must not free of charge. nearly 80 per cent, or around 9 million be forgotten that the meas- In order to fulfil the purpose of Acid News, tonnes per year, and prevent more than ures agreed so far in IMO for reducing we need information from everywhere, so if 100,000 annual premature deaths. emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) are you have read or heard about something that Discussions about restricting air pol- totally inadequate and will not result in might be of general interest, please write or lution from international any significant reductions send a copy to: shipping started towards the “global in total ship NOx emissions Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat end of the eighties within even within the next 10–15 Första Långgatan 18, 413 28 Göteborg, sulphur years. Every effort must there- Sweden the International Maritime Tel: +46 31 711 45 15 Organization (IMO), a UN fore be made to markedly Fax: +46 31 711 46 20 body, and agreement was cap now strengthen the weak NOx E-mail: [email protected] reached in 1997 on an air pol- emission standards, and to Internet: www.airclim.org lution annex to its MARPOL coming make them applicable to Convention. Unfortunately, both existing and new ships. Editor: Kajsa Pira into force To ensure an organised Assistant editors: Christer Ågren, Reinhold this turned out to be a very Pape & Malin Larsson feeble document with very in 2020” gradual phase-in of lower- timid requirements. sulphur fuels, to encourage Printed by Trydells Tryckeri, Laholm, Sweden. After several more years of the use of the best environ- ISSN 0281-5087. talks but very little action, the IMO in 2008 mental techniques, and to speed up the finally agreed and unanimously adopted introduction of clean and renewable fuels, The Air Pollution and Climate Secretariat sulphur standards that would significantly the IMO standards should be comple- The Secretariat has a board consisting of one representative from each of the following reduce the well-documented adverse health mented by economic instruments, such organisations: Friends of the Earth Sweden, and environmental impacts of shipping. as emission charges. Nature and Youth Sweden, the Swedish So- However, a main drawback was that the In addition, the EU and its member states ciety for Nature Conservation, and the World new global 0.5 per cent sulphur cap was should follow the example of the United Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Sweden. to be implemented only 12 years later, by States and Canada and designate all sea The essential aim of the Secretariat is to areas around Europe as “full” Emission promote awareness of the problems associ- 2020. Moreover, due to industry pressure, ated with air pollution and climate change, it was stated that the 2020 implementa- Control Areas, i.e. covering all the major and thus, in part as a result of public pressure, tion date could be postponed, subject to air pollutants (sulphur, particulate matter to bring about the needed reductions in the availability of compliant fuel. and nitrogen oxides). emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse Usually industry favours international Shipping is also a growing source of gases. The aim is to have those emissions agreements, especially when it comes to greenhouse gases, but there is so far no eventually brought down to levels that man CO2 and the environment can tolerate without sectors of a global nature, such as ship- agreement on capping the industry’s suffering damage. ping and aviation. This is due partly to emissions. An IMO meeting in October In furtherance of these aims, the Secretariat: a perceived need for harmonisation, but agreed only to monitor ship CO2 emis- 8 Keeps up observation of political trends also because it normally takes decades to sions, and to delay until at least 2023 any and scientific developments. settle such agreements and the standards agreement on a CO2 reduction target. A 8 Acts as an information centre, primarily for proposed review of ship energy efficiency European environmentalist organisations, arrived at are often set at very low levels but also for the media, authorities, and of ambition. targets was also delayed. researchers. With the stricter global sulphur cap It should be obvious that the longer the 8 Produces information material. now coming into force in 2020 – more shipping industry delays climate measures, 8 Supports environmentalist bodies in other than 30 years after the issue was first the steeper the emission cuts will have countries in their work towards common raised in the IMO – it is hoped that both to be to keep within the world’s rapidly ends. 8 Participates in the lobbying and campaigning shipping and the oil industry will embrace shrinking carbon budget. activities of European environmentalist orga- the IMO standards and focus their atten- Christer Ågren nisations concerning European policy relating tion on establishing effective systems for to air quality and climate change, as well as in compliance monitoring and enforcement. meetings of the Convention on Long-range The nature of shipping as an international Transboundary Air Pollution and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. business has been used as an excuse or 2 ACID NEWS NO. 4, DECEMBER 2016 End derogations for polluting coal plants Effective regulation of air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants could prevent 20,000 premature deaths every year. Establishing and enforcing air pollu- the EU and member states now have an mediate remedial action. Inaction cannot tion standards that are in line with the opportunity to adopt improved environ- be justified when it is human health and best available techniques, could reduce mental performance standards. By agreeing lives that are at stake.” the annual number of premature deaths stricter standards and implementing ef- As there are no techniques that com- in the EU caused by emissions from coal- fective emission limits on coal pollution, pletely eliminate emissions from the fired power plants from 22,900 to 2,600, real progress can be made in improving burning of coal and with coal power according to a new study by a coalition the health of people across Europe. plants responsible for 18 per cent of of environmental groups. The report also called on the Commission the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, the The report was published in October, and member states to review the directive’s authors of the report conclude that truly ahead of an EU technical committee minimum binding emission limit values, lifting Europe’s Dark Cloud will require meeting on the final draft of the large and update them to reflect the levels set the complete phase-out of coal power.