Ocean Acidification Increases the Agony of the Baltic

NO.1, MARCH 2021

Improved air quality could save 200,000 lives per year Reducing urban air pollution in 31 Eu- ropean countries to below the WHO recommended levels could prevent more than 50,000 deaths per year. ► Page 6

EU Clean Air Outlook The annual health benefits the additional measures needed to achieve the 2030 national emissions ceilings are estimated at €12–43 billion, up to 31 times higher than the estimated costs. ► Page 8 © LARS-ERIK HÅKANSSON LARS-ERIK © Renewables have reduced environmental pressures in EU A new study shows that the increase in renewable electricity has reduced the Ocean acidification increases EU’s climate change impact. ► Page 10 the agony of the Baltic Sea Air pollution and Covid-19 Because of low alkalinity and high primary production, the Policies that protect the population from daily fluctuation of pH in the surface water is already high, the effects of air pollution are also likely and ocean acidification is projected to increase this varia- to protect against Covid-19 deaths pos- tion further. sibly attributable to air pollution. ► Page 15 The ever-increasing carbon dioxide at early life stages. While OA can have (CO₂) concentrations in the atmosphere negative effects on some species, others Net zero air travel? result in global warming. Yet a signifi- may benefit from it. Possible benefiters Climate-positive ham- cant share of the CO₂ is also taken up include macroalgae due to improved burgers? by surface oceans. This buffering effect carbon availability mitigates climate change, but at the OA is controlled by alkalinity – the Carbon offsetting under the CDM pro- cost of causing ocean acidification OA( ), buffering capacity – of the water. The duces extraordinary claims. Don’t believe or shifts in the acid-base equilibria of higher the alkalinity of the water, the them, says the Swedish broadsheet Da- seawater. OA means that the pH of the smaller the changes in pH when CO₂ gens Nyheter. ► Page 18 ocean is decreasing. dissolves in it, and the lower the alkalinity, This is bad news for marine organisms. the larger the changes in pH. Phasing out fossil gas The reduced calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) The Baltic Sea is considered to be saturation state impairs calcification rates especially vulnerable to OA because its power stations in Europe of plants and animals that use carbon- alkalinity is considerably lower than that by 2030 ate to build their shells and skeletons. of the oceans, although total alkalinity Presenting a list of gas-fired power stations OA can also induce other physiological of the surface water has increased over in the EU and the UK that should be clo- maintenance costs, which can in particu- recent decades. The change in alkalinity has sed within the next 10 years. lar be reflected in growth and survival been highest in the low-saline northern ► Page 24 Page 3 A newsletter from the Air Pollution & Climate Editorial Secretariat, the primary aim of which is to Marine areas around provide information on air pollution and its the world face to continue, at the expense of marine effects on health and the environment. dramatic changes related to the release of animals and plants already at the limit greenhouse gases. Some of these changes of their salinity tolerance levels. Anyone interested in these matters is invited to contact the Secretariat. All requests for — such as marine heat waves already There is also an unfortunate interplay information or material will be dealt with to proven devastating to coral reefs — are between eutrophication and salinity, the best of our ability. Acid News is available directly related to the temperature regimes namely oxygen depletion. In short, the free of charge. experienced by the organisms. In addition, water column in parts of the Baltic Sea In order to fulfil the purpose of Acid News, there is a whole list of other changes that is permanently stratified into a deeper, we need information from everywhere, so if occur concurrently. more saline, layer, and a surface layer of you have read or heard about something that These changes are not, however, the same less saline water. As oxygen from the sur- might be of general interest, please write or send a copy to: in all marine waters, nor are their effects face cannot penetrate to the deeper layer, on ecosystems. Coastal areas and regional oxygen will eventually be depleted from Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat seas, for instance, often have their own this layer. The rate at which the oxygen Första Långgatan 18, 413 28 Göteborg, Sweden unique characteristics that will shape the is depleted is dependent on the amount Tel: +46 31 711 45 15 way they respond of organic matter, E-mail: [email protected] to climate change. “Climate operates which increases Internet: www.airclim.org The “baseline” of on different with increasing environmental eutrophication. In Editor: Marko Reinikainen baselines in Assistant editors: Christer Ågren & pressures upon addition to this Reinhold Pape which climate- marine regions” salinity-dependent Layout: Karin Didring change-related stratification, shal- effects operate also lower waters also Printed by Trydells Tryckeri, Laholm, Sweden. differs between regions. become stratified in summer, due to ISSN 0281-5087. The Baltic Sea provides an example temperature-dependent stratification. of the importance of regional ecosystem Unfortunately, increased stratification The Air Pollution and Climate Secretariat The Secretariat has a board consisting of one properties in shaping responses to the is one of the projected changes related representative from each of the following effects of climate change. These variations to climate change. In addition, the on- organisations: Friends of the Earth Sweden, in responses apply to the Baltic Sea in going warming of the Baltic Sea is in Nature and Youth Sweden, the Swedish So- comparison with other seas, but also to itself bad news for oxygen conditions, ciety for Nature Conservation, and the World local differences within the Baltic Sea. In as less oxygen can be bound at higher Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Sweden. The essential aim of the Secretariat is to the front-page article of this issue of Acid temperatures, and oxygen consumption promote awareness of the problems associ- News, Anu Vehmaa highlights acidification increases. ated with air pollution and climate change, in the Baltic Sea, and describes the unique The consideration of regional or local and thus, in part as a result of public pressure, characteristics of its buffering system, as conditions does not prevent universal to bring about the needed reductions in the well as aspects of geographic variation in approaches to protect the marine en- emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse the buffering system. The importance of vironment from the effects of climate gases. The aim is to have those emissions eventually brought down to levels that man variable photosynthetic activity, which change. The obvious approach is im- and the environment can tolerate without can seasonally be extremely high, is also mediate mitigation of greenhouse gases. suffering damage. discussed in relation to its implications Other measures include protection and In furtherance of these aims, the Secretariat: for pH dynamics. restoration of biodiversity for increased 8 Keeps up observation of political trends There are several other examples of resilience. However, continued, regionally and scientific developments. 8 Acts as an information centre, primarily for environmental changes that are charac- adopted measures are needed to mitigate European environmentalist organisations, teristic of the Baltic Sea. Eutrophication other, interacting, stressors, such as eu- but also for the media, authorities, and is the most notorious one. Eutrophica- trophication in the Baltic Sea. researchers. tion is evidently not caused by climate 8 Produces information material. change, but by excess nutrients from e.g. Marko Reinikainen 8 Supports environmentalist bodies in other unsustainable agriculture practices and countries in their work towards common Further reading: Baltic Sea Environment Pro- ends. burning of fossil fuels. However, due ceedings No. 137 (HELCOM; https://www.helcom. 8 Participates in the advocacy and campaigning to increased precipitation and warmer fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/BSEP137.pdf), activities of European environmentalist orga- winters, the eutrophication problem will https://www.smhi.se/en/research/research-news/ nisations concerning European policy relating get worse unless efforts to cut nutrients climate-change-makes-reducing-eutrophication- to air quality and climate change, as well as in are successful. In the wake of increased even-more-important-1.162273, and https://www. meetings of the Convention on Long-range bsag.fi/en/baltic-sea/climate-change/ Transboundary Air Pollution and the UN precipitation, an ongoing freshening Framework Convention on Climate Change. (decrease in salinity) is also predicted

2 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 From page 1 parts, with the effect decreasing gradually the magnitude and direction of the fu- to maintain most of its calcification as salinity increases towards the south. ture pH trends is the atmospheric CO₂ activity by shifting it into the daytime, So far, the increase in alkalinity has bal- concentration. when the photosynthetic activity of the anced a notable share of the CO₂-induced Information on the effect of OA on bladderwrack increases the mean pH of acidification. Nevertheless, researchers the Baltic Sea organisms is slowly ac- the habitat. Studies using the mussel warn that the increasing alkalinity should cumulating. Most studies have been done population from the Kiel Fjord suggest not be interpreted as protection against at the species level, although evidence that the Baltic Sea blue mussels might future OA. on community responses has begun to have adaptation potential against the In the Baltic Sea, OA is yet another appear in recent years. In the coastal effects of OA because fluctuating envi- encumbrance among a long list of burdens, zone, the species studied include blad- ronments facilitate the maintenance of eutrophication still being the largest. Due derwrack (Fucus vesiculosus, F. radicans) high genetic diversity. to the combination of low total alkalinity and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis trossulus The complexity of the Baltic Sea and high primary production, the daily complex). They are both keystone or CO₂ system complicates meaningful fluctuation of pH in the surface water foundation species in their habitat, and monitoring of OA. Monitoring must be of the Baltic Sea is already substantial, other organisms thus depend on their both spatially and temporally frequent, and OA is projected to increase this success. According to the experiments and be based on highly accurate and variation even more. The largest differ- using bladderwrack populations from precise measurements. Monitoring of ences in sea water pH between day and the Kiel Fjord and the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea water pH started in 1979 night occur near macroalgal and seagrass OA may have slightly positive effects on and it is coordinated by the HELCOM beds as well as in phytoplankton blooms. growth in the form of increased carbon COMBINE programme. pH is still the Moreover, progressive eutrophication availability and storage, but the response only parameter of the four carbonate amplifies the seasonal fluctuation of is small in comparison, for example, to buffer system variables (total alkalinity, seawater pH by increasing production the effect of warming, and varies between pH, dissolved organic carbon, pCO₂) and mineralisation. Highly productive seasons. Regardless, the future seems that is measured on a regular basis. Ac- coastal habitats that are suffering from challenging for the bladderwrack, as cording to HELCOM, development of hypoxia are already experiencing lower summer heatwaves have proven especially more comprehensive OA monitoring is pH values and CaCO₃ saturation states detrimental. Climate warming, decreasing in progress, and will be in place by 2024. than projected for the coming centuries. salinity, and coastal eutrophication all In essence, OA and global warming Kiel Bay in the western Baltic Sea is an favour fast-growing filamentous green have the same cause, so the main rem- example of such a habitat. At the mo- algae, epiphytes and phytoplankton over edy for both environmental problems ment, these areas can be used as model bladderwrack. Local or regional actions, is to cut down the release of CO₂ from systems when testing the responses of such as alleviation of overfishing and burning of fossil fuels. Promoting eco- adapted marine ecosystems to high levels eutrophication may mitigate the ongoing system resilience against OA could be of acidification. loss of the bladderwrack. achieved through conservation actions It is not easy to detect significant OA Bivalves are dependent on their protec- that maintain biodiversity by freeing the trends and draw conclusions about the tive shells and, as calcifying organisms, ecosystems from other environmental present situation in the Baltic Sea. Even they are especially vulnerable to OA. stressors, such as eutrophication and though the widest monitoring data sets According to the recent studies, the overfishing. Our knowledge of the ef- include over a thousand pH observations, benthic life stages are able to compensate fects of OA on the Baltic Sea ecosystem the quality of the historical data is partly for the costs of acidification when food is still in its infancy. So more research is questionable. At present, there are a few is abundant. The larval stages are less needed before tackling of the acidifica- studies reporting significant changes in fortunate due to high calcification rates tion issue can be effectively included in the Gulf of Finland. Wintertime surface during the formation of the first larval conservation and management plans. and deep-water pH has decreased there shell and the limited energy provided significantly between 1972 and 2009 and by the egg. Calcification is energetically Anu Vehmaa between 1979 and 2015, respectively. The costly for the Baltic blue mussel, and the decrease has been sharper in deep water costs increase with decreasing salinity. This article is based on a report from the BALSAM- project, funded by the Swedish Institute. The than in surface water, possibly because Projected desalination and OA, and the report will be will be available under the section of increased decomposition and CO₂ resulting decrease in CaCO₃ saturation “Recent Publications" in Acid News No. 2/2021. production caused by eutrophication. state could thus set a severe constraint A longer version of this article, including refer- Recent modelling studies have projected for the future of blue mussels. ences, can be found under the heading “Ocean the same phenomena: climate change What can a mussel do in an unfavour- Acidification Working Group” on https://www. and increasing nutrient loads will affect able environment? It has been suggested airclim.org/ (link to the article: https://airclim. org/ocean-acidification-increases-agony-baltic- acidification, mainly by modifying seasonal that dense macroalgal or seagrass habi- sea). Please note also information on the Ocean cycles (summer maximum and winter tat could offer a temporal refuge from Acidification Action Week (May 3–9, 2021) on minimum), and deep water conditions. acidification stress. In experimental page 13 in this issue. However, the main driver controlling conditions, blue mussel has been able

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 3 Zero In – CONSTRAIN a single year, month or location does not mean that the LT TG has been breached, as study show green recov- long as human-induced warming still falls ery could cut the rate of below 1.5°C. It is unlikely that human- temperature rise by up induced warming will reach 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels in the next decade. to half Integrating hard and fast climate action © MEE KO DONG/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM with Covid economic recovery packages With global temperatures now almost could, over the next 20 years, slow down 100% renewable elec- 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels, limiting human-induced global warming by up to tricity supply is possible temperature rise to 1.5°C in line with the half the rate we have experienced since Paris Agreement means taking urgent by 2030 2000, giving us vital time and space to and decisive global action. A new report adapt to future climate impacts. This shows that slowing down global warm- The Earth’s climate emergency requires “strong green recovery”, investing just ing can be combined with tackling the the achievement of a zero-emissions 1.2% of GDP in green technologies and economic crisis caused by Covid-19 and economy much sooner than the generally industries, whilst refusing to bail out fossil that a green recovery could cut the rate of discussed target year of 2050, according to fuel companies, could also cut the total temperature rise by up to half. Where are leading researchers on wholesale energy amount of warming by 2050, putting us we are in terms of the Paris Agreement transitions, some of whom have been back on track to stay within the LT TG’s researching for almost two decades how Long-Term Temperature Goal (LT TG)? 1.5°C limit. Such a green recovery is The Paris Agreement reflects global, we can realise a complex and secure energy urgently needed as the carbon budget RE human-induced long-term temperature supply with 100% renewable energy ( ). continues to be depleted despite a record change that excludes the short-term The researchers say that the target year for fall in annual CO₂ emissions from 2019 CO natural variability in the climate system. ending 2 and other climate-warming to 2020. The report assess the remaining Exceeding 1.5°C warming during one or and air pollutant emissions should be carbon budget for staying below 1.5°C to more years as the result of year-to-year 2030 for the electric power sector and be 355 Gt CO₂ (50% probability). variability therefore does not mean that soon thereafter, but ideally no later than 2035, for other sectors. The core solution the Paris Agreement LT TG has been Compiled by Reinhold Pape reached or exceeded. Measuring where we to meeting this timeline is to electrify or provide direct heat for all energy needs and are now with respect to the LT TG means Source: using the same approach that was used to provide this electricity and heat globally RE set it, following the best available science https://constrain-eu.org/news/ from 100% . The researchers have summarised their at the time, as set out in the IPCC Fifth https://constrain-eu.org/wp-content/up- findings in a 10-point declaration. Their Assessment Report (AR5). This includes loads/2020/12/Constrain-Report-2020-Final.pdf main message is: The transformation to looking forward from a modern reference https://climateanalytics.org/projects/constrain/ period (1986-2005), and so scientific ad- 100% renewables is possible and will ar- CONSTRAIN hosted a Special Event at the 2020 UNFCCC vances in establishing how temperatures rive much faster than generally expected. Climate Dialogues: changed before this time will not affect our A 100% renewable electricity supply is trajectory towards the 1.5°C limit. Overall, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHyjOvsbpRg possible by 2030, and with substantial &feature=youtu.be reaching or exceeding 1.5°C warming in political will around the world, 100% © DIY13/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM renewable energy is also technically and economically feasible across all other sectors by 2035. A 100% RE system will be more cost-effective than will a future system based primarily on fossil and nuclear power. The transformation to 100% renewables will boost the global economy, create millions more jobs than are lost, and substantially reduce health problems and mortality due to pollution.

Compiled by Reinhold Pape

https://global100restrategygroup.org/

https://global100restrategygroup.org/wp-content/ uploads/2021/02/Joint-Declaration-of-the-Global- 100-RE-Strategy-Group-210208.pdf

4 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 UN Secretary General urges all countries to declare climate emergency

Governments around the world should all declare a state of climate emergency until the world has reached net-zero CO2 emissions, the UN Secretary Gen- eral, António Guterres, told a summit of world leaders in December 2020. At least 38 countries have already declared such a state of emergency, often owing to their vulnerability to the impacts of climate breakdown, which are already being felt. “Can anybody still deny that we are facing a dramatic emergency? I urge all others to follow. TheCOVID pandemic is an unexpected chance to tackle the climate crisis”, the UN Secre- tary General declared. “By next month, countries representing more than 65 © GLF MEDIA/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM percent of harmful greenhouse gases and more than 70 percent of the world Meeting Paris goals and University, the University of Birmingham, economy will have committed to achieve phasing out fossil fuels the University of Leicester and University net-zero emissions by the middle of the College London. Countries with the century. At the same time, the main could save “millions of highest consumption of fossil fuels to climate indicators are worsening. While lives” power factories, homes and vehicles are the Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily suffering the highest death tolls, with the reduced emissions, carbon dioxide levels Two new scientific assessments reported study finding that more than one in 10 are still at record highs – and rising. The by the Guardian say that climate action deaths in both the US and Europe were past decade was the hottest on record; could save “millions of lives” through caused by the resulting pollution, along Arctic sea ice in October 2020 was the clean air, diet and exercise. Research from with nearly a third of deaths in eastern lowest ever, and apocalyptic fires, floods, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Asia, which includes China. Death rates droughts and storms are increasingly Climate Change looked at the health in South America and Africa were sig- the new normal. Biodiversity is col- impact of boosting national climate ac- nificantly lower. The death toll exceeds lapsing, deserts are spreading, oceans tion plans to meet the Paris targets and the combined total of people who die are warming and choking with plastic avoid dangerous climate change across globally each year from smoking tobacco waste. Science tells us that unless we cut nine countries, including the US, China, and those who die of malaria. fossil fuel production by 6 percent every Brazil and the UK. The world is currently Scientists have established links between year between now and 2030, things will off track to meet the Paris goals, but the pervasive air pollution from burning fossil get worse. Instead, the world is on track research found that stronger commit- fuels and cases of hear disease, respiratory for a 2 percent annual rise. Pandemic ments to curb temperature rises in line ailments, and even the loss of eyesight. recovery gives us an unexpected yet vital with the international agreement would Without fossil fuel emissions, the average opportunity to attack climate change, also have significant benefits for health. life expectancy of the world’s population fix our global environment, re-engineer Across all nine countries, implementing would increase by more than a year, while economies and reimagine our future. Here national climate plans that meet the global economic and health costs would is what we must do... ” (See link below). Paris goals could save 5.8 million lives fall by about 2.9 trillion dollars. due to better diet; 1.2 million lives due Compiled by Reinhold Pape to cleaner air; and 1.2 million lives due to Compiled by Reinhold Pape increased exercise. Air pollution caused https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/ by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/ dec/12/un-secretary-general-all-countries-declare- feb/10/climate-action-could-save-millions-of-lives- climate-emergencies-antonio-guterres-climate- and oil was responsible for 8.7 million through-clean-air-diet-and-exercise ambition-summit deaths globally in 2018, a staggering one in five of all people who died that year, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/ https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/covid-pan- feb/09/fossil-fuels-pollution-deaths-research demic-climate-crisis-paris-agreement-b1769330. according to a second research study in html collaboration between scientists at Harvard

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 5 Improved air quality could save 200,000 lives per year

Reducing urban air pollution in 31 European countries to below the WHO recommended levels could prevent more than 50,000 deaths per year, and if the cities manage to bring down air pollution in line with the lowest measured levels, over 200,000 annual deaths could be prevented.

A new health impact study by the When ranking the cities it was found and the burning of coal and wood,” said Barcelona Institute for Global Health that the top ten cities with the highest researcher Sasha Khomenko, lead author (ISGlobal) has estimated the mortality mortality burden due to PM2.5 were all of the study. burden attributable to air pollution in in Italy, Poland or the Czech Republic The highest rates of mortality at- more than 1,000 cities in 31 European (see Table). tributable to NO₂, a toxic gas associated countries (EU-28, Norway, Switzerland “For PM2.5, the cities with the high- primarily with motor-vehicle traffic, were and Iceland). est mortality burden were in Italy’s Po found in large cities in countries such The study, published in The Lancet Valley, southern Poland and the eastern as Spain, Belgium, Italy and France. Planetary Health, includes a ranking of Czech Republic. This is becausePM 2.5 On the other hand, the top ten cit- the cities with the highest rates of mor- is emitted not only by motor vehicles ies with the lowest mortality burden tality attributable to each of the two air but also by other sources of combustion, were all in Iceland, Norway, Sweden pollutants studied: fine particulate matter including industry, household heating, and Finland, with Tromso in Norway (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). Table: The ten cities with the highest mortality burden attributable to PM and NO , respectively. The findings show that 51,000 and 2.5 2

900 premature deaths could be prevented Particulate matter (PM2.5) Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) each year, respectively, if all the cities 1 Brescia (Italy) Madrid (metropolitan area) (Spain) analysed were to achieve the PM2.5 and 2 Bergamo (Italy) Antwerp (Belgium) NO₂ levels recommended by the World 3 Karviná (Czech Republic) Turin (Italy) Health Organization (WHO). 4 Vicenza (Italy) Paris (metropolitan area) (France) However, if all of the cities were to match 5 Silesian Metropolis (Poland) Milan (metropolitan area) (Italy) the air quality levels of the least polluted 6 Ostrava (Czech Republic) Barcelona (metropolitan area) (Spain) city on the list, even more deaths could 7 Jastrzębie-Zdrój (Poland) Mollet del Vallès (Spain) be prevented. Specifically, the number of 8 Saronno (Italy) Brussels (Belgium) premature deaths that could be prevented 9 Rybnik (Poland) Herne (Germany) 10 Havířov (Czech Republic) Argenteuil-Bezons (France) each year by reducing PM2.5 and NO₂ concentrations to the lowest measured Note: Ranking based on percentage of preventable annual mortality and years of life lost (YLL) per levels are 125,000 and 79,000, respectively. 100,000 population.

6 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 reporting the lowest mortality burden health. Therefore, the maximum NO₂ coal burning would help heavily polluted associated with NO₂, and Reykjavik in and PM2.5 levels allowed by law should cities in central Europe. Iceland the lowest mortality burden be revised,” said Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, associated with PM2.5. senior author of the study. Christer Ågren “Our findings support the evidence “We need an urgent change from pri- suggesting that there is no safe exposure vate motorised traffic to public and active Source: ISGlobal press release, 19 January 2021. threshold below which air pollution is transportation and a reduction of emissions The study: “Premature mortality due to air pollution harmless to health. They also suggest that from industry, airports and ports,” Sasha in European cities: a health impact assessment”, by the European legislation currently in force Khomenko said to Agence France Presse, S. Khomenko et. al. The Lancet Planetary Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30272-2 does not do enough to protect people’s adding that a ban on domestic wood and

Domestic wood burning has become the single biggest source of small-particle (PM2.5) air pollution in the UK, producing three times more than road traffic, according to new emission inventory data. According to a separate government- commissioned report, the wood-burning Bulgaria and Greece to zones and agglomerations. Continued pollution is caused by only eight per cent of failure to do so could lead to fines. the population. Almost half of these were go to court for air quality Source: European Commission infringement affluent and many chose a fire for aesthetic breaches package, 3 December 2020. reasons, rather than heat. Link: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/press- In 2019, the use of wood in domestic In its December infringements package, combustion activities accounted for 38 the European Commission announced per cent of PM2.5 emissions. Emissions of that it will refer Bulgaria and Greece Hungary breached EU air PM2.5from domestic wood burning more to the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) after than doubled between 2003 and 2019 (from both countries breached air pollution pollution limits 20 to 41 thousand tonnes) and increased limits for years despite multiple warnings. by 1.0 per cent between 2018 and 2019. The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in Bulgaria has systematically and con- Industrial combustion and processes are February that Hungary has “systematically tinuously failed to comply with the limit another major source, together accounting and persistently” breached legal limits for 33 per cent of PM2.5 in 2019. Road values for particulate matter (PM10) and for PM10, in some regions for as long as to adopt appropriate measures to keep transport remains a significant source of 12 years. The court also said that, since the period of exceedance as short as PM2.5 emissions (12 per cent in 2019). 2010, Hungary had failed to ensure that possible, the Commission said. Due to stricter emissions standards, vehicle breaches were kept as short as possible. As Bulgaria has failed to comply with exhaust emissions have decreased by 85 per The ruling orders Hungary to comply or cent over the last 25 years, but this has been a 2017 ruling of the ECJ, the result may partially offset by an increase in non-exhaust be financial penalties for the time elapsed face potential further legal action by the emissions (e.g. brake, tyre and road wear) since the first judgement and daily fines Commission to impose financial penalties. as traffic activity has increased. until full compliance is achieved. The judgment from the Court of Justice Greece will face the court for the first on Wednesday puts Hungary on a list of nine EU countries found guilty of illegal Source: Guardian, 16 February 2021. time for breaching limits on PM10 in Thessaloniki for most of the past 15 years. air pollution since 2011. Romania, Bul- Link to UK emissions inventory report: https:// www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions- The Commission concludes that efforts by garia, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and of-air-pollutants/emissions-of-air-pollutants- Sweden all breached PM10 limits, while the Greek authorities have to date been in-the-uk-1970-to-2018-summary unsatisfactory and insufficient. France had illegal levels of NO₂. © BRIZMAKER/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Source: Reuters, 3 February 2021. A letter of formal notice was sent to France for not respecting a 2019 ECJ Link to ECJ press release: https://curia.europa. judgment on compliance with nitrogen eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-02/ cp210012en.pdf dioxide (NO₂) limits in 12 air quality

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 7 EU Clean Air Outlook The annual health benefits of additional measures needed to achieve the 2030 national emissions ceilings are estimated at €12–43 billion, up to 31 times higher than the estimated costs.

The number of premature deaths due climate policy. Improvements made over emission control measures is illustrated to air pollution will be reduced by more the last few years in the national emis- in alternative scenarios, called “MTFR”. than half in 2030 compared to 2005, sion inventories are also accounted for. These scenarios should however be seen provided that EU countries implement However, the most recent proposal by the as conservative, as they exclude premature all air pollution and climate measures in Commission, to increase the EU’s climate scrapping of existing capital stock and existing EU legislation, according to a ambition by reducing greenhouse gases by assume no further technological progress new analysis published by the European 55% by 2030, is not part of the baseline up to 2050. Commission. The report also stresses scenarios in the analysis, but is reflected To explore the impacts of additional that more could be done, as there are as a separate policy scenario. climate policy scenarios, two decarbonisa- still plenty of measures for reducing air tion scenarios, called “1.5 TECH” and “1.5 Emission scenarios pollution that would bring more benefits LIFE” were analysed. Both scenarios are than costs to society. Based on the above-mentioned information, designed to achieve net-zero greenhouse Published on 8 January 2021, the Sec- two new baseline emission scenarios were gas emissions by 2050. ond EU Clean Air Outlook report looks produced, one business-as-usual, called Impacts at the prospects for EU air quality up to “CAO2”, and one that includes the ad- 2050. It follows on from the 2013 Clean ditional measures and policies envisaged After full implementation of the emis- Air Programme proposal for a regular in the reported NAPCPs, called “NAPCP” sion reduction requirements of the NEC update of the air quality situation in the (see AN 3/20, pp. 24–25). The resulting directive, the share of the EU population EU, and builds on an analysis prepared by emissions in 2030 under these baseline exposed to PM2.5 concentrations above the Commission’s consultant IIASA. The scenarios show whether countries are on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) First Clean Air Outlook was published track to meet the 2030 emission reduction guideline of 10 µg/m³ is expected to drop in June 2018. requirements (ERR) of the NEC directive significantly, to around 12 per cent in TheNEC directive requires each member or not. Changes in total EU-27 emissions 2030. Cases of premature deaths due to country to cut emissions of five major air for the various scenarios are shown in excessive levels of PM2.5 and ozone would pollutants in two steps, by 2020 and by Table 1 (country-by-country figures can come down by 56 per cent, from 409,000 2030. The pollutants covered are sulphur be found in the report). in 2005 to 180,000 in 2030. dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), It was shown that for both scenarios In the MTFR scenario, the share of non-methane volatile organic compounds only a handful of countries will have the EU population exposed to PM2.5 (VOC), ammonia (NH₃) and particulate to take additional measures to meet concentrations above the WHO’s guide- matter (PM2.5). their emission ceilings for SO₂, NOx, line would be reduced to 4 per cent, The study analyses the effect of new VOCs and PM2.5. For NH₃, on the and cases of premature deaths due to measures to reduce air pollutant emissions other hand, the analysis showed that PM2.5 and ozone would come down to from different sources put in place since additional measures would be needed 148,000 in 2030. the First Clean Air Outlook, including for most member states to meet their But smaller improvements are expected measures reported in the member states’ emission ceilings. for ecosystems, especially for impacts on National Air Pollution Control Pro- The scope of air pollutant emission biodiversity resulting from an oversupply grammes (NAPCP) and changes resulting reductions that could be achieved through of airborne nitrogen compounds. In 2005 from the 2018 updated EU energy and full application of available technical around 76 per cent (470,000 km2) of the EU’s protected ecosystem area was exposed Table 1. Total EU-27 emissions in 2005 (kilotons); National emission reduction commitments for 2030; Changes in emissions by 2030 under three scenarios. to excess nitrogen deposition. By 2030, this figure is expected to come down only by 2005 2030 2030 scenarios approximately one quarter, to 359,000 km2, NECD CAO2 NAPCP MTFR equivalent to 58 per cent of Natura2000 6803 -78% -85% -85% -90% SO2 nature protection areas. The main reason NOx 9673 -61% -70% -70% -73% for this limited improvement is the NEC VOC 7565 -41% -48% -49% -64% directive’s significantly lower ambition PM 1665 -50% -60% -61% -74% 2.5 level for reducing ammonia emissions NH3 3790 -19% -8% -19% -37% from agriculture.

8 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 Costs to €713–2005 billion in the EU. By 2030, were not included in this valuation. This Implementing the policies and measures full implementation of current legislation applies, for example, to reduced damage announced by member states in their is expected to reduce these costs by more to health from nitrogen dioxide (NO₂ NAPCPs is estimated to cost about €1.4 than 50 per cent. exposure and impacts identified on de- billion per year in 2030, and the annual The incremental annual health benefits mentia, obesity and diabetes. costs for implementing all the available resulting from additional measures of the Air pollution damage to crops, forests, technical measures (MTFR) is estimated NAPCPs amount to €11.8–42.7 billion, ecosystems and materials was estimated at about €25.6 billion in 2030. while those of implementing all the avail- to amount to €44–53 billion in the EU able technical measures (MTFR) amount in 2005, and the incremental annual Monetised benefits to €63–226 billion. monetised benefits of implementing the Total annual health costs of air pollution For various reasons some of the health NAPCPs and the MTFR in 2030 were in 2005 have been estimated to amount benefits from less air pollution exposure estimated at €0.3–0.9 billion and €2.3–4.2

Table 2. Comparison of incremental annual costs and benefits for the EU-27 in 2030 of two of the scenarios analysed (million euro). NAPCP MTFR Median VOLY Benefits 12,678 67,296 Costs 1,349 25,629 Net benefits 11,329 41,667 Benefit-to-cost ratio 9.4 2.6 Mean VSL Benefits 43,570 230,332 Costs 1,349 25,629 Net benefits 42,227 204,703 Benefit-to-cost ratio 32.3 9.0

Note: Specifically for mortality impacts, a lower and a higher value were used, the former being based on the value of a life year lost (VOLY) and the latter on the value of a statistical life (VSL).narios analysed (million euro).

billion, respectively. Figures in Table 3 promote more sustainable heating and and even more measures need to be in- include benefits to health and to crops, cooling solutions, as well as measures in troduced in many member states.” forests, ecosystems and materials. support of clean transport. But measures EU Environment Commissioner Virgini- It should be noted that the benefit that increase the combustion of bioenergy, jus Sinkevicius said that it is “paramount analysis was limited geographically to especially in devices without adequate that all member states fully implement the EU’s 27 member countries, which emissions abatement technologies, are the agreed and planned measures and step means that no allowance was made for said to be detrimental to clean air and up efforts to tackle emissions. Further the positive effects of reducing emissions need to be avoided. reducing air pollution would save more in the EU on health and the environment Methane, black carbon and ozone are of lives, reduce pressure on ecosystems and in non-EU countries. concern both for air quality and climate it makes economic sense.” change, and the Commission “underlines Links to climate policy the need to continue working on reduc- Christer Ågren By avoiding the need to undertake some ing emissions of air pollutant precursors, air pollution abatement measures, climate particularly methane.” It also said that Sources: mitigation actions taken under the sce- the review of the NEC Directive (due by The Second Clean Air Outlook. Report from the narios “1.5 TECH” and “1.5 LIFE” result 2025) will explore the possible inclusion of Commission to the European Parliament, the Coun- in cost savings for air pollution control. methane among its regulated pollutants. cil, the European Economic and Social Committee Of the climate scenarios, the one that and the Committee of the Regions. COM(2021)3 (8 January 2021). reflects a move towards a circular economy Next steps and lifestyle change contributes most to The Commission concludes that ammonia Support to the development of the Second Clean reducing air pollutant emissions. The best emissions from agriculture remain an Air Outlook. Main report + annex. IIASA. (Decem- ber 2020). measures are those that boost energy outstanding issue, and that “the additional efficiency, increase the share of non- measures announced by member states in The reports are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/ environment/air/clean_air/outlook.htm combustible renewables, improve the their NAPCPs need to be implemented energy performance of buildings and without delay to reduce these emissions,

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 9 Renewables have reduced environmental pressures in EU A new study shows that the increase in renewable electricity has reduced the EU’s climate change impact as well as land, air and water pollution. Targeted actions will further reduce environmental impacts of the energy transtition.

The European Green Deal puts climate The European Environment Agency (EEA) acidification of soils and land occupation. change mitigation at the core of its en- has investigated the impact which this Going beyond climate mitigation, a deavours to sustainably recover from the transition will have in a wider focus. The detailed life-cycle analysis was undertaken Covid-19 pandemic. By 2030, 70 percent study assessed the impact of all electric- to calculate global changes in overall of electricity should be generated from ity generation technologies on climate environmental impacts associated with renewable sources to enable the necessary change, freshwater eutrophication and the trends in the EU power mix between reductions in greenhouse gases by 2050. ecotoxicity, particulate matter formation, 2005 and 2018. The aim was to estimate how key environmental impacts had changed by 2018, thanks to the increase in renewable sources in the electricity supply mix across the EU, relative to the benchmark year 2005. EEA studied 16 power generation methods, of which coal, natural gas and oil had the biggest life-cycle impacts on the environment. EEA energy and environment expert Mihai Tomescu stated that “Coal generation has by far the highest impact intensity overall, leading to most impacts across the categories that we looked at and across all years”. The majority of the EU’s electricity is now free from coal, and some EU countries, most recently Portugal, have pledged to close coal plants. However, other member states, like Poland, still have no date set for when they will finish using coal. The increase in renewable electricity generation had significantly decreased life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions at the EU level. In fact, for most of the impact categories investigated, the switch from fossil fuel to renewable electricity sources resulted in clear improvements in 2018, compared with 2005. At the EU level, the life-cycle impact potentials of eutrophication, particulate matter formation and acidification were all lower in 2018 than in 2005. Freshwater ecotoxicity and land occupation are the two exceptions to that trend, the EEA notes. The life-cycle impact intensities of these are more evenly spread across renewable and non-renewable sources. Increasing rates of household © LIGHTSPRING/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

10 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 waste incineration, which counts as a emission intensity of solar PV components. substantially increasing renewable energy renewable electricity source, have increased For biodegradable municipal solid waste, are a must for a net-zero energy system the potential for freshwater ecotoxicity, almost all ecotoxicity impact potentials and this study underlines the benefits of while sourcing more power from “solid arise from the incineration process itself. this transition for our climate and our biomass”, such as wood, has almost dou- This means there are potential opportu- economy, while proposing ways to mitigate bled the amount of land area needed by nities to mitigate impacts by adopting potential negative environmental impacts the sector since 2005. more advanced abatement technologies. of renewables.” Trio added that “Renewable In addition, the study highlights that Similarly, for particulate matter formation projects are set to grow. Hence, we need there are ways to decrease the relative and linked to biomass fuels, process emission the right framework to steer investments total impact intensities of renewables. The contributions are highest during burning, in renewables in the coming years while relatively high impact intensity of solar indicating a potential to install further ensuring that we opt for the most sustain- photovoltaics (PV) on ecotoxicity arises emission control measures. able deployment of renewables in Europe. from emissions of mining processing Green MEP Jutta Paulus called on the Climate, energy and biodiversity policies metals and chlorine from the purifica- European Commission to “further minimise should reinforce each other.” tion of solar-grade silicon. This impact the negative impact of renewables” when it Overall, the study makes clear that the can be decreased by reducing demand for amends key energy and waste legislation shift away from coal power, by far the most raw materials, for example through better this year. She added: “It is intolerable that environmentally destructive way of produc- end-of-life material recovery. member states are cutting down forests to ing electricity, and towards renewables and Considering the worldwide surge in PV make their carbon footprint appear better natural gas explains the improvements in deployment and an average lifetime of 30 than it is. That’s why we need science-based the sector’s impact. years for solar panels, waste volumes are targets for sustainable biomass use.” certain to increase more rapidly after 2030. Demand-side management to reduce Emilia Samuelsson End-of-life recycling will help finance the the need for standby generation during future of the solar power industry. Pleas- peak consumption, measures to improve Sources: ingly, progress in this field has been rapid energy and resource efficiency across end EEA, 2021, EU renewable electricity has reduced and some processes claim recovery rates use sectors, and more sustainable, circular environmental pressures; targeted actions help as high as 99 percent for the raw materi- business models could further reduce further reduce impacts, European Environment Agency Briefing no. 32/2020, accessed 30 Janu- als employed in solar panel manufacture. some of the potential negative impacts ary 2021. Solar PV power’s greenhouse gas impact associated with the transition to renew- intensity is also among the highest of all able power supplies, while simultaneously Pickstone, S. (2021). EEA highlights multiple green benefits of renewables. Accessed 31 renewable sources across the value chain. increasing their cost-effectiveness. For January 2021,https://www.endseurope.com/ As the construction of solar PV modules non-combustible power sources, measures article/1704836/eea-highlights-multiple-green- requires both heat and electricity, and also include lifetime extensions to reduce benefits-renewables takes place globally, the cumulative effect the emission intensity linked to upstream Taylor, Kira (2021). Shift to renewables ‘significantly leads to relatively high total emissions and downstream processes. decreased’ emissions, EU agency says. Accessed 31 of greenhouse gases. Increasing reliance Wendel Trio, director of Climate Action January 2021. https://www.euractiv.com/section/ on renewable energy in manufacturing Network (CAN) Europe, commented: energy/news/shift-to-renewables-significantly- processes would help to bring down the “Strongly reducing energy consumption and decreased-emissions-eu-agency-says/

Major emitters of air pol- (agriculture, industry, transportation, heating was also ranked low in people’s lution often overlooked domestic heating, domestic waste and perceptions, but it is a significant source others). in all seven countries, especially in Poland A new study compared the public per- The top choices by respondents were and Italy. ception of air pollution sources with industry and traffic. But the reality is The researchers concluded that bet- the real-world situation. This was done very different. The main source of particle ter communication between scientists, through a survey carried out in seven pollution in six out of the seven coun- politicians, the media and the public European countries (Austria, Belgium, tries is agriculture, but this is frequently is needed. Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the overlooked since agriculture emits little United Kingdom) and involving more particle pollution directly. However, Source: The Guardian, 15 January 2021 than 16,000 respondents, in which they ammonia emissions from livestock and Link to the study “Public perception of air pollution could choose two main sources/sectors fertiliser react in the atmosphere to sources across Europe”: https://doi.org/10.1007/ considered as primarily responsible for produce so-called secondary particles. s13280-020-01450-5 air pollution out of a list of six options Domestic solid-fuel burning for home

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 11 © ALEXANDROS MICHAILIDIS/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM EU countries falling short of air pollution targets All but two EU member states have failed to show how they will cut air pollution to comply with the National Emission Ceilings Directive, a troubling new report finds.

A new study by the European delivered their programmes and Italy has member states have fallen so short of Environmental Bureau (EEB) has ana- only submitted a draft. their commitments to reduce air pollution lysed progress by member states towards On top of the delays, the report highlights over this critical decade,” said the EEB’s compliance with the National Emission shortcomings and failures regarding the Senior Policy Officer for Air and Noise, Ceilings (NEC) Directive, which aims completeness of national reporting, the Margherita Tolotto. “We call on the Eu- to halve the impact of air pollution on credibility of the national programmes, ropean Commission to start infringement people’s health by 2030. and public participation. procedures against all the member states When the NEC Directive was adopted Moreover, the analysis show that only which have failed to submit a credible in 2016, EU member state governments two EU countries (Belgium and Slovakia) programme, and to ensure that all plans promised to reduce their emissions of appear to be on track to comply with their are fit for purpose.” five major air pollutants in two steps, by first-step emission reduction commit- In November, the European Envi- 2020 and 2030, and to put in place Na- ments (ERCs) for 2020–29, and only one ronment Agency (EEA) confirmed air tional Air Pollution Control Programmes (Belgium) with the second step ERCs for pollution remains the biggest environ- (NAPCPs) outlining how those objectives 2030. The remaining countries are judged mental health risk in Europe, causing will be achieved. to be either at a medium or high risk of around 400,000 premature deaths per The reporting deadline for the first non-compliance for all pollutants, with year in the EU (see AN 4/20, pp. 18–19). NAPCPs was 1 April 2019, but 20 coun- more than half of the member states at Although some effective measures have tries failed to submit their national air high risk of non-compliance for 2030 been rolled out in the road transport and pollution control programmes by this date onwards. energy sectors, emission reductions are and, over a year and half later, Greece, “With our health and environment way too slow, especially when it comes to Luxembourg and Romania have still not at stake, it is a scandal that all but two agriculture and domestic heating.

12 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 © 19BPRODUCTION/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Agriculture stands out in particular Close links between air as the sector governments were afraid to tackle, where reduction targets for pollution and climate ammonia emissions are most likely to action be missed. This is especially worrying as emissions from farming have increased Actions taken to reduce emissions of air in recent years. pollutants and greenhouse gases often For the EEB’s Secretary General, Jeremy address the same economic sectors but Wates, “this points to a big problem with are reported separately under different the governance around agriculture at the EU legislation. EU level.” A new briefing from the European “Agriculture is not only a significant Environment Agency (EEA) presents source of air pollution, but also the an overview of the latest policies and single biggest driver of biodiversity loss measures reported by member states in Europe, and it accounts for 10–15 to tackle air pollution, and also looks per cent of the EU’s contribution to at synergies with the policies reported Source: EEA, 10 December 2020. EU climate change. Yet the sector is not under the Regulation on a mecha- The EEA briefing “Measures to reduce emissions of effectively addressed, and the way the nism for monitoring and reporting air pollutants and greenhouse gases: the potential for synergies” is available at: https://www.eea. CAP negotiations are going is looking greenhouse gas emissions (Monitoring europa.eu/themes/air/air-pollution-sources-1/ pretty bad,” Wates warned. Mechanism Regulation), highlighting the importance of coherence between national-emission-ceilings/actions-to-reduce- Domestic heating is also a key sector to air-pollutant address if governments are to respect the these domains. reduction targets for fine particles PM( 2.5), which is one of the most hazardous air pollutants. Ocean Acidification Action Week initated by the BALSAM-project, 3-9 May 2021 The EEB report explores what went wrong and provides tools and recom- Ocean Acidification (OA) caused by carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels mendations to rectify the dire situation, puts our seas at danger. Corals, cod, salmon, shrimps and shellfish are among the including the steps to be taken and organisms at peril, together with whole ecosystems. The threats to nature are also measures to be included by member states a great concern for humans, and affect everyone who benefits from nature and when preparing appropriate NAPCPs. the sea – for work, for leisure, and for inspiration. “We ask national governments to tackle The NGOs working in the BALSAM project strongly encourage other NGOs and air pollution with the urgency it deserves, all those concerned about our seas to take action to highlight OA – a phenome- by putting in place the necessary national non that is still not well known to everyone. Although the Covid pandemic still programmes and sticking to them. As many affects our lives, we hope to establish creative contacts with fishermen, schools, artists, museums, journalists and the like, to raise awareness of OA – during the of them prepare their National Recovery Action Week and otherwise. and Resilience Plans, air quality must be Materials for dissemination will be made available under the heading “Ocean a priority,” said Tolotto. Acidification Working Group” on www.airclim.org. The European Commission is requested The BALSAM project is funded by the Swedish Institute. to enforce a quick resubmission of NAPCPs for those member states that were found to have a high risk of non-compliance in the Commission’s assessment, and Decarbonising the ship- to propose additional EU-wide actions for deploying sustainable zero-carbon that could help improve the situation, in ping industry technologies and fuels in shipping. As global shipping will require between $70 particular to reduce agricultural ammonia Environmental group Transport and emissions. and 90 billion in annual investments over Environment (T&E) has expressed the next 20 years to fully decarbonise support for the Commission’s initiative Christer Ågren by 2050, a dedicated support scheme to develop a carbon pricing scheme for for the maritime sector should be set the maritime sector, as it sends a clear Sources: EEB press release and META article, 18 up. A new T&E briefing outlines how December 2020. signal to the market that polluters need this can be done. to pay. Including shipping in the EU The report “National Air Pollution Control Pro- emission trading system (ETS) will Source: T&E News, 5 February 2021. grammes: analysis and suggestions for the way allow for the internalisation of climate forward” is available at: https://eeb.org/library/ Link to T&E briefing: https://www.transporten- national-air-pollution-control-programmes- externalities. vironment.org/publications/how-decarbonise- analysis-and-suggestions-for-the-way-forward/ Crucially, the maritime ETS will shipping-industry raise revenues that will be essential

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 13 EU air quality policy scrutinised The forthcoming revision of EU air quality legislation provides an opportunity to strengthen requirements and thus to better protect health and the environment.

In January, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) published a European implementation assessment (EIA) prepared for the European Parliament’s environment committee. The report focuses primarily on the two Ambient Air Quality Directives, but also looks at the implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive and the EU type-approval legislation for road vehicles. This is timely, as these rules are scheduled for revision in the near future. The analysis resulted in a number of conclusions and recommendations for policy action, some of which are summarised below.

• As some of the current EU air quality standards are not aligned with the latest scientific knowledge, they need to be brought up to date and there should also be an obligation for a periodic review of the standards against the latest technical and scientific evidence. • There is a need for EU-level harmonisation of the way air quality data is communicated © CKYBE/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM to the public, and the legal framework must include a provision to guarantee the and evaluated, e.g. by introducing an public access to information and public right of citizens to access justice. obligation for member states to report participation in permit procedures. • For some air pollutants, exceedances of to the Commission on the implementa- the air quality standards are still wide- tion of their plans and to update them TheEPRS report also includes a research spread and persistent, and the periods of when new measures are adopted or paper which analyses the local policies exceedance have not been kept as short when progress is insufficient. designed and implemented by ten cities • as possible, despite this being a legal re- As regards the Industrial Emissions to reduce air pollution. It also looks at quirement. This non-compliance has led Directive (IED), national practices the effects of the first wave of pandemic to infringement procedures launched by for granting derogations to certain lockdown measures implemented in the the Commission against several member installations should not unduly delay same ten cities (Athens, Barcelona, Ber- states. But the infringement procedures, in implementation of the best available lin, Bucharest, Krakow, Lisbon, Madrid, addition to being lengthy, do not always techniques (BATs). The current exclusion Paris, Rome and Stockholm). succeed in enforcing compliance with from the scope of the IED of some highly the EU air quality standards. polluting installations in the agricultural Christer Ågren • The air quality plans are critically im- (livestock) and mining sectors should be portant for the avoidance, reduction reconsidered. Monitoring data should The report “EU policy on air quality – Implemen- tation of selected EU legislation,” including an be published in a systematic way to and prevention of air pollution, and annex “Mapping and assessing local policies on action for improvement should focus on improve transparency and facilitate air quality – What air quality policy lessons could the quality of the plans and especially access to data for the public. The release be learned from the Covid-19 lockdown?” (January on the measures included. EU-level of many emerging air pollutants should 2021). Available at: https://www.europarl.europa. guidance could support this process, be better monitored and reported. All eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ STU(2021)654216 and the implementation of air quality permits granted under the IED should plans needs to be properly monitored be made public, which would improve

14 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 Air pollution and Covid-19 Policies that protect the population from the effects of air pollution are also likely to protect against Covid-19 deaths possibly attributable to air pollution.

Following a request from the European phasing out woodstoves and improving to quantify the burden of Covid-19 Parliament’s environment committee, a the ventilation of cooking emissions will attributable to air pollution. group of medical scientists led by Bert likely reduce the burden of respiratory • Many Covid-19 survivors have been Brunekreef at Utrecht University have and cardiovascular disease. burdened by adverse long-term con- produced a report discussing the potential • Measures aimed at reducing greenhouse ditions affecting the heart, the lungs effects of air pollution on Covid-19. Below gas emissions often lower emissions of and other organ systems. This is of is a summary of the recommendations hazardous air pollutants as well, and great concern as these conditions can from this expert report: it is of vital importance to seek and be worsened by air pollution exposure. strengthen co-benefits from measures • Air pollution and Covid-19 likely af- • The overall impact of air pollution taken in each of these two domains. fect disadvantaged populations more on heart and chronic lung disease is • Air pollution causes chronic diseases adversely due to higher exposures and/ more than large enough to motivate such as asthma, chronic obstructive or increased vulnerability. Therefore, ac- aggressive reduction policies. Current pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, tions to mitigate the adverse effects of EU limit values for PM2.5 and NO₂ do heart disease and diabetes. Many of both air pollution and Covid-19 should not protect public health sufficiently these conditions predispose to Covid-19 be targeted at disadvantaged groups in and need to be lowered. Policies that hospitalizations, intensive care unit particular, where the need is greatest. protect the population from the effects admissions and deaths. For this reason of air pollution are also likely to protect alone, there is serious concern about Christer Ågren against Covid-19 deaths possibly at- negative impacts of air pollution on tributable to air pollution. the Covid-19 pandemic. The report “Air pollution and COVID-19” (Janu- ary 2021) is available at: https://www.europarl. • Regarding indoor air pollution, no- • Further work is needed, following europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/658216/ regret policies such as aggressively methods elaborated by WHO and the IPOL_STU(2021)658216_EN.pdf discouraging smoking in the home, Global Burden of Disease collaboration,

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 15 Estonia: from shale to gale Rising CO₂ emission quota prices finally seem to have pushed oil shale power off the energy market in Estonia.

The last few years have been very eventful due to a corruption scandal and the new currently no alternatives for quick deploy- in the Estonian energy sector. The country coalition has promised to both stop fossil ment. As for shale oil, phasing out by 2040 had long been a net electricity exporter fuel investments and phase out oil shale seems widely optimistic, given that this thanks to the oil shale power plants of in all forms. Is this really the case and industry is mostly dependent on three national energy company Eesti Energia, what are the just alternatives? factors: world oil price, CO₂ quotas and which until 2018 accounted for 76 percent The Estonian government has declared local environmental taxes. While local of total domestic electricity generation two phase-out dates – exiting oil shale taxes have already been lowered to bare with about 1500 MW of installed and electricity by 2035 and shale oil pro- minimums by previous governments, the usable capacity, amounting to about 70 duction by 2040 at the latest. Both of oil price is volatile and the CO₂ price is percent or 11 million tons of the coun- these numbers are good, because the oil staying high. However, this in itself would try’s total CO₂ emissions. This largely shale sector and people involved with it not be a major problem for the oil industry, changed in the summer of 2019, when urgently needed some clarity about their as it has generously been allocated free rising CO₂ emission quota prices finally future prospects. But the numbers are bad, emission quotas due to the improbable pushed this unique and extremely carbon- because they are out of touch with reality. chance of “carbon leakage”, where Esto- intensive fossil fuel largely off the energy As mentioned, electricity generation had nian companies would relocate outside market. Following these developments, mostly stopped back in 2019. The capacity the EU (e.g. to neighbouring Russia) to the government decided in early 2020 that is still regularly operational is there escape the fair climate policies. What is to subsidise a new Enefit 282 shale oil only because of governmental orders a problem for the industry on the other plant to intensify ongoing oil production. that defy open-market logic. On some hand is the fact that these free allocations As the oil is mainly exported, so are the colder winter days, when producers in are decreasing yearly, with the current majority of the related emissions from fuel other countries are having outages, more rate of -2.2 percent proposed to rise to combustion. So the ministers were quick dirty oil shale electricity gets a short -6 percent or more in the coming years. to claim that this decision was still moving competitive chance. The reason for this The industry itself has calculated that this Estonia itself towards climate neutrality. situation is simple – due to decades-long would mean a shutdown of operations In early 2021 the former government fell governmental inaction there simply are no later than 2028. So giving the sector

16 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 it seems that some businesmen have decided that perhaps enough time has now passed since the last major nuclear accident in the world that the same technology can be sold again. The difference this time around is the narrative of a “new generation” of nuclear technology, mixing the messages between “3+” and “4th” generation nuclear reactors. These are of course a totally different breed of technologies, but that seems to be the point – gaining public support by promoting the “waste-burning” and very futuristic designs, while preparing to li- cense the problematic older technologies in somewhat smaller forms. The propo- nents claim that there is no alternative to nuclear, as renewables simply “do not work”, but that these different technologies do not compete with each other. Yet at their conferences every opportunity is taken to blast wind and solar. Actions speak louder than words in this case. The developers also claim that they need no public money for their business venture, yet they have already asked for land near the small town of Kunda on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. While it is highly unlikely that the small modular reactor technology will ever come to realisation, it is still important to keep public funds away from such toxic projects. a promise of smooth sailing until 2040 the end of 2020 a group of experts held While the previous governments had is a risky and possibly very costly bet for some intensive co-creation sessions to completely missed the obvious end of shale the government. input their ideas for a “Green Plan” for oil electricity, they at least invested in good In recent years another important the region. Some potential projects in- connectivity with neighbouring countries. process has been unfolding in Estonia, cluded a green-tech innovation centre, a The new leaders have the opportunity to that of a just transition in the oil shale residential sustainability showcase area, turn the failure into a success story by region. The concept was first introduced solar and wind co-operatives, innova- engineering an ambitious transition to by several environmental organisations tive district heating and an overall new renewable energy sources, advocate for with the aim of openly discussing the narrative for the country among other overall energy saving, promote energy possible alternatives for the people cur- initatives. Moving from “shale to gale” storage solutions and simplify the crea- rently employed in the shale sector. The is of course not an overnight possibility tion of energy communities that leave multi-stakeholder roundtables were held and many related problems must first no one behind. A popular local petition in Ida-Virumaa, the north-eastern part be solved, starting with developing the is calling for climate neutrality as early of the country most affected by oil shale electricity grid and ending with installing as 2035, and the science shows it can be phaseout. Topics discussed ranged from new defence radar systems to free up more done. So the lights are still on in Estonia, mapping the various problems and ob- land for the wind parks. But overall, the and in the future they could start shining stacles that have previously prevented problem of the transition is not technical, brighter than ever. such transitions from finding alternatives but purely political. and ways to fund them. As of 2021 the Yet there is another recent development Madis Vasser work has led to local-level platforms and that can hinder Estonia’s progress on re- (Madis Vasser is a policy and ad- governmental steering groups that are newable energy. This is the false promise vocacy expert at the Estonian Green compiling the territorial just transition of small modular nuclear reactors, being Movement) plan needed to apply for EU funds to forecfully advertised by a small local help the region in moving towards a more company. While such tiny nuclear power diversified and low-carbon economy. At plants have been proposed for decades,

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 17 Net zero air travel? Climate- positive hamburgers? Carbon offsetting under the CDM produces extraordinary claims. Don’t believe them, says the Swedish broadsheet Dagens Nyheter.

© JUL_G /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM The Clean Development Mechanism, and store less carbon,” commented Dagens tions. And their accounting is transparent, CDM was one of the flexible mechanisms Nyheter with reference to a Nature article3. according to DN. defined in the Kyoto Protocol that provides Rainforests that are supposedly being saved This is unusual. Sweden’s biggest travel for emission reduction projects which by such projects keep getting destroyed in company, Tui, claimed that it compensates generate Certified Emission Reduction Brazil, the country with most such projects. for all its emissions, and in advertisement (CER) units that may be traded in emission This was reported by Propublica4, and led, videos that it “contributes to a better world”. trading schemes. according to Dagens Nyheter to the UN It gave no details about its offsets to DN, The CDM was criticised by NGOs as distancing itself from its own system: but it considered CDM as a certificate of soon as it was introduced, mainly by the The Swedish hamburger chain Max quality from the UN. The CDM credits US, which by the time of Kyoto Protocol Burger claims to be climate positive, “every are registered by the EU transaction log, (1997) had no intention to cut its coal, gas chew contributes to a better climate,” they but are not public until three years later. and oil, under president Bill Clinton. say. This is because they have offset 110 “None of the companies Tui, Ving The Americans got all the flexibility per cent of their emissions, and they plant (the second biggest travel company in they wanted. Then they defected from the domestic trees in Uganda. They won a UN Sweden), SAS (airline), or Bra (airline) Protocol anyway. prize in September 2019. will say how much money they invest in When the Obama administration re- But as Dagens Nyheter writes, even “this climate compensation. While the com- entered the Kyoto Protocol and promised to prestige project is scattered with question panies include offsets in the ticket price, cut emissions, at least in the long term, the marks”, referring to researchers who have they claim that it does not result in any flexible mechanisms were well established, interviewed villagers: price increase for the customer.” with entrenched interests in defending • Some have logged before due time. Buyers of offsets, for example airlines them, both among sellers in the third world • The contracts are in English, which few and travel agencies, depend on companies and among buyers and middlemen in rich villagers speak. that specialise in offsets, as they usually countries. • Project developer Ecotrust is described do not have the know-how inhouse. That By 2018 they had generated projects as inaccessible. does not contribute to transparency. worth more than $300 billion. • The long-term climate benefit is un- “Of those [companies] that have been This continued even as the price crashed certain. Farmers undertake to leave contracted by or referred to by airlines and to zero in 2012. The price remains low at the trees for 25 years, but are only travel companies, four are based outside about €0.3/ton, compared with about €25/ paid for 10 years. There is no plan for Sweden, and others have foreign own- ton for EU trade. replanting after logging. At present, ers, holding companies in Switzerland, To judge from a series of articles1 in the growing coffee or sugarcane is more Singapore or Cyprus. They all say they are most influential Swedish daily newspaper, profitable. prohibited from disclosing information Dagens Nyheter (DN), in late 2019, the early Afforestation is not always beneficial about their clients,” writes DN. criticism of the CDM was well-founded. for the climate, according to scientist Dagens Nyheter concludes that it is Afforestation is one of the most commonly Mariska te Beest. Savannas that are kept not possible to verify the claims of Tui or used ways to generate carbon reduction open by grazing animals already store large the airline SAS that they offset all their units (CERs). Credits to save rainforests amounts of carbon in the soil, and if you emissions. They will not show any receipts that keep sucking up CO₂ were to be sold plant forest on such ground, the soil will or certificates. Ving and Bra make claims to companies as offsets against emissions probably store less carbon, although more that are partly verifiable. of greenhouse gases. research is needed. And if the forest is Even if a company is open about how “Carbon offsets are not our get-out-of-jail darker than the land before afforestation, many offsets it has purchased, where they free card,” the UN body wrote2. this will have a heating effect outside the take place, gives access to its contracts, and “45 per cent of forest restoration projects carbon balance. can prove that these offsets cover direct have instead become plantations for fast- Max Burger are well aware that offsets and indirect emissions, that is still only growing monocultures that decreases diversity must be combined with emission reduc- half the story.

18 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 Whereas there is no double-counting the income from CDM are tiny, compared bella Lövin (Green Party) after the series in emission trading within the EU, for to factors such as interest rates, electricity of articles. She has previously compared example, this is not certain for the CDM. prices and other things that decide the offsets to indulgence and now said that A wind energy project that offsets an in- financial viability. You also have to assess “we have to get away from the thought vestment in a coal power plant will reduce how much renewable energy is already part that you can offset anything”. emissions by so many tonnes per year over of the national policy. She has nevertheless defended the Swedish say 25 years. Under that condition it is easy There are a good many wind power plants Energy Authority and its vast, long-term to agree on how much. But how do you in India that have been built without CDM purchase of CDM projects, but also points know that a) the coal power plant would money, writes DN, referring to a study from out that the credits so far have been annulled have been built without the CDM project 2014 from LSE and Paris Tech. and not used to fulfill climate targets. and b) that the wind farm would not have It is not just CDM projects that produce On the other hand, Ulf Kristersson, leader been built without the CDM project? dubious and overestimated emissions re- of the biggest opposition party to the right of © JUL_G /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM If the answer is no to either question, ductions. the centre-left government, said to DN that the project does not deliver any emission “According to the SEI and ÖI researchers, Lövin’s attitude on climate policy is “very reduction. The purchaser has paid for a writes DN, the conclusions are also valid provincial, almost nationalistic”, and that “it reduction, but there is no “additionality”. for certifications on the voluntary market. is not wrong to use Swedish resources to The Öko Institute in Freiburg, Germany, The Gold Standard and Verified Carbon make efforts in other places where it is more and Stockholm Environment Institute have Standard are often described as stricter than efficient than to make them in Sweden”. tried to answer the question of whether the CDM, but according to the report they a project is likely to be additional or not, share the same problems of additionality Fredrik Lundberg and have screened 76 per cent of all CDM and over-rating of carbon credits. The same projects between 2013 and 2020, in a study: applies to the air industry’s international 1. www.dn.se/om/dn-granskar-klimatkompen- “How additional is the clean development programme CORSIA, which comes into sation/ (in Swedish), by Sverker Lenas and Lisa mechanism?” The scientists conclusion is force in 2021, and is expected to dominate Röstlund that 85 per cent of the projects in the study the demand for offsets in the future. 2. www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/ have low probability of yielding additional Another problem, pointed out by DN story/carbon-offsets-are-not-our-get-out-jail- emission reductions without over-estimates. with reference to another SEI study, is that free-card Only 2 per cent have a high probability old projects, where emission reductions took 3. www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01026-8 of giving the emissions reductions at face place many years ago, are now being used value, and 13 per cent somewhere in between. to meet climate targets under the Paris 4. https://features.propublica.org/brazil-carbon- Martin Cames, one of the seven research- agreement5, CORSIA and travel company offsets/inconvenient-truth-carbon-credits-dont- ers behind the study said to DN: Ving among them. work-deforestation-redd-acre-cambodia/ “Renewable energy projects, and especially Sweden is a key player in offsets, as the 5. https://www.sei.org/publications/clean-de- wind parks, have two great challenges. fourth biggest purchaser of CDM. velopment-mechanism-nationally-determined- They are very expensive investments and DN confronted the climate minister Isa- contributions-aviation/

Rules of the Paris Agreement:

The French government has published a small briefing between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2020 based about the rules of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement1. At on a selection of possible restrictions for their transi- COP 26 in November 2021 the UNFCCC plans to decide tion. The analysis indicates that the supply potential for on the rules of Article 6 in the Paris Agreement, which emission rights for emission reductions in or after 2013, includes the prolongation of Clean Development Me- in the absence of any restrictions, is in excess of 4 billion. chanism (CDM) type activities. A new report published Environmental NGOs are very concerned that govern- last November2 updates the numbers on the quantity of ments will agree on weak rules at COP 26 and allow a CDM credits that could be transitioned to post-2020 if no continuation of false climate solutions, as described in restrictions are adopted under Article 6. The transition of the attached article. Environmental NGOs in Sweden emission rights issued under the CDM for use by Parties are against the use of such flexible mechanisms for the towards their NDCs is a key outstanding issue for Article NDCs from Sweden and the EU. 6 negotiations at the UNFCCC. To inform the ongoing negotiations, the report set out estimates of the potential Compiled by Reinhold Pape emission rights supply by two groups of modelling teams, from research institutes in Japan and Germany. The report 1. https://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/Articles/ed92a1e7-6eb5- presents an updated analysis of the potential supply of 4518-8ac3-a54f1fe2a5fb/files/aecc8cc8-7bd5-4ef8-b25a-4fd87ac991f1 emission rights issued for emission reductions occurring 2. https://newclimate.org/2020/11/25/cdm-supply-potential-for- in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol emission-reductions-up-to-the-end-of-2020/

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 19 Towards sustainability of marine governance EU member states are currently developing Marine Spatial Plans, a key tool to improve cross- sector cooperation and minimise spatial conflicts. Multiple useful reports provide best-practice examples and policy recommendations.

The oceans are shared by a myriad of Economic Zones by March this year. MSPs may also perform a strategic vision- different stakeholders, and the growth The European Commission acknowledges ary role and establish a coherent policy of the offshore renewable energy sector the conflict challange between differ- framework for future decision-making. brings increased potential for conflict. ent sectors. “Our Green Deal cannot Strategic vision statements are essential Marine Spatial Plans (MSPs) should enable be successful without public support,” to achieve the cross-sectoral, integrated simultaneous harnessing of the energy of said Commissioner Kadri Simson when ambitions of MSPs. This approach can the wind and seas but also protect our prompted by a French journalist who support the identification of potential marine environment from overexploitation. enquired about local resistance to offshore synergies across policy sectors. Both In addition, the seas should continue to wind projects. According to Simson, interpretations of MSPs are important to be able to provide healthy nourishment engaging with the local population is their role in conflict management. and sustainable livelihoods to coastal of paramount importance for national In addition to these approaches another communities and beyond. authorities in order to “move from public focus has emerged with the communica- MSPs can provide countries with guidance acceptance to public support” when it tive shift in planning practice that brings and frameworks to learn from in order to comes to offshore wind deployment. a view of planning as a transdisciplinary better plan the management of our marine The Greens in the European Parlia- process. A communicative approach has environment, strengthening community ment have published a new report on best highlighted that spatial planning has the involvement in the process, and facilitate practice in maritime spatial planning. potential to enable “transformative prac- constructive stakeholder dialogues. In The report reviews present practice in tices”. MSPs should also be concerned with Europe, this process is vital to reach the MSP in the EU and beyond. It identifies “place-making” at sea – shaping how sea aim of the European Green Deal to live best and good practice for MSP models spaces develop through future-oriented sustainably within the planetary boundaries. that can be pursued as opportunities to transformative spatial strategies. In this For example, MSPs should support both showcase co-operation between stake- way, MSPs can act as a catalyst for change the protection of 30 percent of our seas holders, where the outcome is mutually rather than merely a regulatory function. over the next ten years, as outlined in the beneficial to fisheries, renewable energy Another study commissioned by the 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy, as well as production, and marine protection. PECH Committee of the European Par- increasing EU offshore wind capacity to 30 The report distinguishes between two liament focuses on the impact of the use times current levels by 2050, as outlined in interpretations of the role of MSPs. The of offshore wind on fisheries. Mitigation the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy. To primary task of MSPs can be described measures have been identified to reduce fulfil the requirements of theEU Maritime as sea-use regulation. This entails the conflict potential and should be picked Spatial Planning Directive member states regulation of activities in marine space up in an MSP process, for instance in the are required to prepare and adapt spatial through zoning and designation of usage. strategic environmental assessment (SEA) plans for territorial waters and Exclusive This approach is the most common one. . These comprised 1) early stakeholder

20 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 consultation to detect conflict potential Negotiations include potential mitiga- energy projects is not a waste of time and at an early stage and acknowledge the tion measures as well as compensation that individual opinions are considered. importance of all actors; 2) facilitation of for financial disruption or displacement, Vertical stakeholder integration increases negotiation processes by independent third due to the wind farm itself or the export robustness of multilevel governance struc- parties and the creation of guidelines for cable corridor. Among possible mitigation tures, especially in areas with overlapping the expansion of offshore renewables; 3) measures are the inclusion of fishermen responsibilities. Sustainable MSPs need to compensation payments for the disturbance in the construction and operation of the be based on a robust bottom-up frame- and the associated loss of income or ad- wind farm, or permitting passive fisheries work of multilevel governance. Studies ditional expenditures. All three measures within the site. Negotiations on com- have shown that learning and capacity aim to contribute to a reduction in impact. pensation are carried out by the Danish building at multiple governance levels Co-design approaches for the co-location Fishermen’s Association and verified by through transboundary initiatives works of offshore renewables with other uses can an independent consultant. The amount as an enabler for conflict solutions. reduce the impact potential on fisheries, of the compensation payment depends on strengthen relationships with sectors of the analysed impact on fisheries. Emilia Samuelsson concern, and even enable beneficial co- The project Baltic Energy Areas – A Sources: operation between them. Planning Perspective (BEA-APP) highlights O’Sullivan (2021). Best Practice in Maritime Spatial Denmark is one of the examples of the lessons learned regarding stakeholder Planning: Towards Mutually Beneficial Outcomes best-practice for co-existence between involvement. Important recommendations for Fishers, Renewable Energy Production and Marine Conservation. On behalf of the Greens in fisheries and offshore wind farms which to add to those mentioned above include the European Parliament is included in the study by PECH. The interactive communication methods that Danish Energy Agency (DEA) surveyed are suitable in the process of stakeholder Stelzenmüller et al. (2020). Impact of the use of offshore wind and other marine renewables on Eu- possible sites in the North Sea and Baltic involvement to promote cooperation in ropean fisheries. Research for the PECH committee. Sea for an 18 GW offshore wind farm. planning and implementation of renewable The Danish Fisheries Act foresees a energy projects. Stakeholder involvement Bremere et al. (2018). Stakeholder involvement plans: Transnational lessons learned report on stakeholder consultancy process in which developers should give confidence to all participating involvement. Baltic Energy Areas – A Planning present and discuss their development parties that their contribution to the spatial Perspective. Baltic Environmental Forum – Latvia. plans directly to the fishing industry. planning and development of renewable

Climate crimes must be climate change worse, that we should head of state to refer to mass destruc- brought to justice look for postericidal conduct.” ENDS tion of nature as “ecocide”, at the 1972 reports that “efforts to criminalise serious UN Conference on the Environment in In December 2019, at the International environmental harm have taken a leap Stockholm, and to declare that it “requires Criminal Court in the Hague, Vanuatu’s forward as three European countries urgent international attention”. ambassador to the European Union signalled they would discuss the idea at made a radical suggestion: make the a political level”. Compiled by Reinhold Pape destruction of the environment a crime. Over the past few months, the govern- Sources: Catriona McKinnon, Professor of Politi- ments of France, Sweden and Belgium https://en.unesco.org/courier/2019-3/climate- cal Theory at the University of Exeter, have all announced they would seriously crimes-must-be-brought-justice United Kingdom, has proposed that consider supporting attempts to crimi- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201105- “international criminal law should be nalise “ecocide”. what-is-ecocide expanded to include a new criminal In June 2020, French president Em- ENDS, Isabella Kaminski, 06 Nov 2020, news@ offence”, which she calls postericide. “It manuel Macron said he would examine endseurope.com is committed by intentional or reckless how the principle of ecocide could be © PARALAXIS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM conduct fit to bring about the extinction incorporated into French law after nearly of humanity. Postericide is committed all participants in the country’s citizen’s when humanity is put at risk of extinc- assembly on climate recommended it tion by conduct performed either with should be criminalised nationally. the intention of making humanity go In autumn 2020 the Belgian gov- extinct, or with the knowledge that the ernment followed suit, saying it would conduct is fit to have this effect. When consider recognising a crime of ecocide a person knows that their conduct will in domestic and international law, and impose an impermissible risk on another the Swedish parliament announced that and acts anyway, they are reckless. It is in it would discuss criminalising ecocide. the domain of reckless conduct, making Sweden’s Olof Palme was the first

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 21 © ROMAN ZAIETS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Our food system is the main driver of biodiversity loss

The world’s food production is destroying natural habitats and occupies approximately 50 percent of the habitable land. The main reason for the rapid land expansion is animal farming. Farmed animals (mainly cows and pigs) now account for 60% of all mammals by weight, with humans making up 36% and wild mammals just 4%. Agriculture has been identified as a threat to 24,000 out of the 28,000 species on the endangered “Red List”. The Chatham House thinktank’s new report explores ways of transforming the destructive agricultural system. The main issue according to the study is the to protect fossil fuel projects. It allows Solar radiative man- production of of cheap food, as prices are energy companies to challenge govern- agement opposed pressed lower through actions such as ments on measures that could impact the clearing natural land and using harmful expected income from investments made. During 2021, US initiatives are again fertilisers and pesticides. It currently has 54 signatories, including planning to run experiments to ma- TheUN -backed report presents three the EU and nearly all European countries, nipulate the Earth’s atmosphere. One main solutions. First is a shift to plant- as well as Turkey, Central Asia and Japan. such experiment is scheduled to take based diets as livestock have the largest The ECT is currently under review, place at an aerospace centre in Kiruna environmental impact. More than 80 but progress has been slow on the in northern Sweden in June 2021, but percent of global farmland is used to raise modernisation process and campaigners is strongly opposed by environmental animals, which provide only 18 percent claim it will not solve core issues such NGOs1. of calories eaten. That shift gives access as arbitration or the protection of fossil Climate Action Network (compris- to land that can be used for the second fuel investments, as any reform needs ing 1500 NGOs/networks worldwide) solution; restoring ecosystems to increase unanimous approval from the treaty’s has declared a clear position2 against biodiversity. The third solution is farming 54 signatories. solar radiation modifications SRM( ), in a less intense and damaging way but The treaty´s Investor-State Dispute summarised as follows: accepting lower yields. Thus, the avail- Settlement (ISDS) could lead to taxpayers 1. Robust adaptation and mitigation ability of land underpins this solution paying up to €1.3 trillion in arbitrations actions are the first-line solutions to too, as organic yields are on average about by 2050, of which 42 percent would climate change. SRM is not a substitute 75% of those of conventional intensive be paid by EU citizens. For example, for either and should not be seen as farming. in February the German energy giant climate action. RWE used the ECT to claim €1.4 billion 2. Recognise the inherent transboundary Source: in compensation from the Netherlands nature of SRM and significant and Benton, T., Bieg, C., Harwatt, H., Pudasaini, R., over its planned phase-out of coal from unknown risks (geopolitical, social, & Wellesley, L. (2021). Food system impacts on the country’s electricity mix by 2030. environmental, ethical) involved. biodiversity loss. However, leaving the treaty does not 3. Strongly opposes deployment of SRM. end the commitment, as a sunset clause 4. Strongly opposes real-world experi- Slow progress on pro- means that countries must uphold their ments. posal to modernise En- commitments for another 20 years. Italy, for example, left in 2016 and faced a Reinhold Pape ergy Charter Treaty number of post-withdrawal arbitrations.

The modernisation of the Energy Char- Source: 1. https://www.theguardian.com/environ- ter Treaty (ECT) has faced mounting ment/2021/feb/08/solar-geoengineering-test- Taylor. Kira (2021) EU pushes for fossil fuel phase- flight-plan-under-fire-over-environmental-con- criticism. Spain and France have been out in “last chance” energy charter treaty talks. cerns-aoe pushing for the EU to leave the treaty. Accessed 19 February 2021. https://www.euractiv. The treaty, a multilateral investment com/section/energy/news/eu-pushes-for-fossil- 2. https://climatenetwork.org/wp-content/up- agreement protecting foreign invest- fuel-phase-out-in-last-chance-energy-charter- loads/2020/11/can_position_solar_radiation_man- ments in energy supply, can be used treaty-talks/ agement_srm_september_2019-1.pdf

22 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 Analysing marine geoengineering technologies AirClim has published a briefing about how geoengineering schemes would negatively affect the oceans. None of the methods are new or have been tested on any meaningful scale.

Marine cloud brightening: Finely ground sea salt is sprayed up from tall chimneys on ships, manned or un- manned. The most common proposal for achieving such a goal is to inject naturally occurring sea salt into cloud © WOLLERTZ/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM updraughts. CAN conclusions on CCS Microbubbles/sea foam: The water in Climate Action Network (comprising but there is also a need to increase the the wake of ships is brighter because of around 1500 NGOs/networks worldwide) speed of development and/or deploy- small bubbles. The proposed scheme is has published a new 21-page position ment of low- or zero-carbon processes to reinforce this effect by adding sur- paper on carbon capture and storage with and materials, replacing fossil fuels with factants such as those used to remediate 100 scientific references. Based on current renewable energy, increasing recycling oil spills and, in lower concentrations, global trends and an analysis of existing rates, and designing alternative materi- as a widespread pollutant in run-offs literature and reports, CAN draws the fol- als with lower emission footprints than from the use of detergents, soap and lowing conclusions on CCS and its potential steel, conventional cements, plastics and toothpaste etc. The bubbles would reflect to serve as a climate-mitigation tool: aluminium. CAN strongly supports further more solar energy back into space, and 1. CCS at scale remains largely unproven and internationally coordinated research, thus have a cooling effect. and its potential to deliver significant development and deployment for CO₂- emission reductions by mid-century free processes and alternative materials to Ocean fertilisation: Some parts of the is currently limited. ensure that energy-intensive industries oceans have low levels of micronutrients, 2. Safe, permanent, and verifiable storage eliminate all emissions by mid-century one of which is iron. If relatively small of CO₂ is difficult to guarantee. at the latest. amounts of iron are added there, it will 3. The climate impact of CCS should cause an algal bloom. If a substantial consider all emissions and costs from Reinhold Pape part of the algae (or plankton that eat concomitant processes. the algae) sink to the sea floor, this will 4. CCS is not needed in the power sector. The position paper can be found here: draw carbon from the air and more or Faster, cleaner, safer, more efficient, less permanently store it on the sea floor. and cheaper means exist to reduce https://climatenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/can_position_carbon_capture_stor- CO₂ emissions, such as phasing out Upwelling: age_and_utilisation_january_2021.pdf Cold, deep water that is rich fossil fuels and replacing them with in nutrients can be forced up to the warmer renewable energy, energy efficiency, surface by pumping or natural winds. As and energy conservation. in ocean fertilisation (above), this would 5. Enhanced oil and gas recovery is danger- enhance algal growth and fixCO ₂. ously at odds with any climate action and will not lower emissions in comparison to The critical analysis of marine geoengi- renewable energy and energy efficiency. neering technologies can be found here: To meet the Paris Agreement target, the majority of fossil fuel reserves must be Compiled by Reinhold Pape left in the ground. 6. A suite of strategies and technologies The extended analysis of marine geoengineering already exist to cut emissions in the in- technologies can be found here: https://airclim.org/ dustrial sector, without CCS. Emissions publications/analysing-marine-geoengineering- in the industrial sector can be significantly technologies reduced by increasing process efficiency,

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 23 Phasing out fossil gas power stations in Europe by 2030 Presenting a list of gas-fired power stations in the EU and the UK that should be closed within the next 10 years.

Fossil gas has to be phased out if Europe Natural gas use leads to emission of other Continued gas use with carbon capture is to comply with the Paris agreement. A greenhouse gases. Upstream, methane and storage is not an option. There is not phase-out strategy must include heating, and CO₂ are emitted. Combustion of gas one gas power plant or gas heat plant with industry and power. This is clearly possible, emits N₂O from denitrification and/or CCS in operation on any relevant scale though the fossil gas lobby is strong and NOx and ammonia, some of which later anywhere in the world. There is a reason resourceful. As a first step in the fossil gas turns up as N₂O. More CO₂ emissions for this. It costs too much to capture, phase-out in the EU this analysis presents result from energy use for compressors transport and store a ton of CO₂ from a list of the 70 largest fossil gas power in gas pipelines and for liquefication to gas power – far beyond any conceivable station polluters, to be closed down over LNG and propulsion of LNG ships. price in the ETS. the next ten years. Europe cannot get anywhere near its Gas power plants are different both in Coal use peaked globally in 2013 and climate targets without a steep reduction design and how they are operated. Other in Europe in 1985. Oil peaked in 2005 in in natural gas use. things being equal, older plants with the EU and may have peaked globally in The crucial point is not the year in lower efficiency emit moreCO ₂. Plants 2018. Global gas use, on the other hand, which net zero is achieved, but minimising that have been converted from coal or oil has grown relentlessly at least through emissions on the way. Gas use in Europe power are less efficient and emit more 2019, globally, and has remained roughly emits at least a billion tons of CO₂-eq/ CO₂ per kWh of electricity. Power-only flat in Europe over the last 20 years. year, of which some 20–25 per cent is plants emit more than combined heat In 2019 the EU-28 used 16.9 exajoules power, so left unchanged by 2050 that and power plants. of natural gas, which resulted in direct would amount to 30 billion tonnes, which The biggest difference, though, is how emissions of some 950 million tonnes of cannot be shoehorned into any kind of much they are operated. A “base-load” CO₂, or about 28 percent of CO₂ emissions. compliance with Paris goals. plant that is used all the time, 8760 hours

24 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 per year, at full capacity, emits 100 times per cent. The EU has also a large swathe of happened in the UK and France, Portugal as much as a “peaker” plant that is only other legislation that sometimes reinforces, and Spain, so it is no longer a pretext for used on average 87 hours per year. Most but sometimes contradicts climate targets. keeping gas. Nuclear will be gone from gas power plants cannot easily be put in On top of that, member states have a lot Germany by the end of 2022 and then either category. They operate opportunis- of influence over the fate of the individual it will be off the table. Phasing in new tically depending on gas price, electricity power plant, which can be used to enhance wind and solar does not take decades, price and carbon price, so the emissions or weaken EU climate policy. more likely two or three years, and it is can differ considerably from year to year. The one thing we know for sure is that already happening. New power lines have This makes it difficult to say which plants when a power station is decommissioned long lead times, but a lot of construction are the worst from a climate perspective. and torch-cut into pieces, it will not emit is already going on. Some demand-side CO₂ data can, with a lot of work and a bit any more CO₂. As long as it is still opera- management and energy efficiency can of luck, be found for any one plant for one tive, even if it is not much used, or even be fast and cheap, but is often held back year. But the figures vary and do not tell mothballed, there is always a risk that by legal and other barriers. much how much it is supposed to emit in market conditions or policy will restore So while there is no one way to tell which the coming years. it to full operation. plants to phase out first, a simple proxy is This calls for a two-thronged approach. An accurate and detailed analysis of capacity. That is also where we have data. Higher CO₂ prices, which we have already which plants to shutter first should also The first priority is to stop planning for seen, will have many beneficial effects. The consider the short-term consequences for new gas power plants, and stop building least-efficient plants will be hardest hit, and each plant in each member state. It is for them. Then, other things equal, shut the coal and lignite will be hit still harder. As example not a good idea to shutter a gas biggest ones first, as they are either the big- more coal power is killed, gas power will power plant in order to save lignite power gest emitters or have the potential to be so. be on the front line. If high CO₂ prices are plants, as happens right now in Germany. sustained and continue to rise this will, It is impractical to ask for closure of a Fredrik Lundberg in theory, take care of the prioritisation. plant that is essential for grid stability, or But it would be dangerous to rely only to re-ignite debate about nuclear power in The extended analysis by Fredrik Lundberg about on the emission trading system to deliver countries that have decided to shut down fossil gas phase-out and the 70 largest fossil gas the necessary cuts. We must not forget that some or all reactors. power stations in the EU and UK is published by AirClim in a briefing: https://airclim.org/publica- the ETS was next to useless between 2005 Grid stability issues are complex, but tions/phasing-out-fossil-gas-power-stations- and 2017, and that the EU institutions do they cannot legitimise the operation of europe-2030 not exercise hands-on control over the gas power plants until 2050; they should price, nor that they watered down the 2030 be solved within two to three years. The Box: 10 largest gas-fired power stations in the emissions target from -65 to less than -55 phasing out of coal has largely already EU and UK

Name Company Status country MW Peterhead SSE plc operating United 1180 power Kingdom NGO campaign: Clean station 1 invite citizens to sign the petition and Spalding Intergen operating United 950 power NV Kingdom the Industry make their voices heard. station 1 Car- Electricity operating United 910 “The whole point of theIED is to protect rington Supply Kingdom Industrial emissions take a heavy toll on us and our environment from the nega- power Board station 1 (ESB) our health, environment and climate, yet tive impacts of industrial activities. If the & 2 current EU laws fail to keep them suf- Langage EP UK operating United 905 Commission is serious about their zero power Invest- Kingdom ficiently under control. A new petition station ments pollution, circular economy and carbon Ltd. demands that the EU step up protection. neutrality goals, they must redesign its Montalto Enel operating Italy 900 Di Castro The “Clean the Industry” campaign was scope, rethink how standards are set, power station 1 launched on 1 February 2021 by a coalition and ensure greater transparency,” said Montalto Enel operating Italy 900 Christian Schaible at EEB. Di Castro of legal, environmental and health experts, power and urges the European Commission to station 2 Montalto Enel operating Italy 900 strengthen the Industrial Emissions Di- Source: EEB META, 4 February 2021. Link to the Di Castro campaign: https://www.cleantheindustry.eu power rective (IED), which determines emission station 3 © DEDMITYAY/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Montalto Enel operating Italy 900 ceilings for over 50,000 industrial facilities Di Castro power across the EU, and to put a lid on toxic station 4 and climate-wrecking emissions. Emsland RWE operating Germany 887 power Genera- station D Linked to a public consultation on tion SE updating the IED, campaigners call on Simeri Edison operating Italy 885 Crichi SpA policymakers to make it fit for the climate power station fight and a non-toxic environment, and

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 25 Decarbonise buildings through energy efficiency not hydrogen In an open letter to the EU Commission a coalition of businesses and civil society groups has urged that renewables and energy efficiency should be prioritised over hydrogen to decarbonise buildings.

© IM_PHOTO/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM tors. A conclusion was that there remains a collective lack of a shared vision of the trajectory sectors should follow, and a lack of planning for how to do so. Over 100 expert speakers participated from over 35 countries. The discussions demonstrated that the objective of decarbonisation is clear, but what is less clear is the strategy to achieve this. All parts of the energy system are in flux, with changes happening simultaneously on the supply and demand sides. Changes on so many fronts make it difficult to chart a clear pathway, while increasing the risk of stranded assets. The open letter urgesEU executives “not to overestimate the zero-emission gas For the European Union to achieve a solution to support the decarbonisation of potentials, mostly imported from abroad, higher 2030 EU climate target, massive the sector. Pilot projects in which hydrogen because it would constrain EU consumers emission reductions are required in the is injected into an existing gas network to fund unnecessary infrastructures, such building sector, specifically a decrease of 60 already exist and are on the rise. In the as gas pipelines (or their upgrade) and percent compared to 2015. The Renovation United Kingdom, buildings in the village would divert precious financial resources Wave strategy includes the application of the of Winlaton will be some of the first in away from immediately applicable heat energy-efficiency-first principle in synergy the UK to trial natural gas blended with decarbonisation solutions”. with increased renewables integration. In the hydrogen. About 670 houses and several Monica Frassoni, President of the Eu- coming years there are plans to renovate 35 businesses will receive the hydrogen blend ropean Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) million homes and public buildings, making for about 10 months, starting this year. The has stated: “To achieve higher emission them more energy efficient to reduce their main reason to blend hydrogen with gas reductions by 2030, the EU must act fast to massive carbon footprint. is that it doesn’t require changing exist- decarbonise buildings as one of the most While the European Commission puts ing gas distribution networks or heating energy consuming and polluting sectors. the building renovation wave high on systems, making decarbonisation cheaper. To make this happen, we need to prioritise its agenda, many countries have been In an open letter to the EU Commission, energy efficiency and renewables, while procrastinating on building renovation a coalition of 33 businesses and civil society using hydrogen to decarbonise harder- programmes. The Commission aims for a organisations and think tanks highlights to-abate sectors, like chemicals and steel.” 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency the risk that this is a distraction from by 2030. A review of EU member states’ longer-term solutions that are available Emilia Samuelsson national energy and climate plans shows now. The letter states that “to optimise the that there is a gap of 2.8 percentage points process of heat decarbonisation, energy Source: for primary energy consumption and 3.1 efficiency options must be favoured because Open Letter Decarbonising the EU building stock percentage points for final energy consump- they can immediately deliver real carbon with available solutions and no direct use of tion. “You would require at least a doubling, savings, while accommodating a growing hydrogen if not a tripling of member states’ efforts, to share of renewable sources”. Link: https://euase.net/wp-content/uploads/ increase energy savings and close the gap”, One event that illustrated the risk of 2021/01/210120_Open-letter_Timmermans_hy- said Stefan Scheuer, secretary general of distraction was the IRENA Innovation drogen.pdf the Coalition for Energy Savings. Week, which focused on the topic of Latest accessed 13th of February 2021 Hydrogen has often been looked at as a strategies of decarbonising end-use sec-

26 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 Fossil fuel air pollution Phase out scrubbers on caused 8.7m deaths ships globally A new 36-page report from the Interna- An estimated one in five deaths each year tional Council on Clean Transportation ICCT can be attributed to air pollution from fossil ( ), urges governments and the Inter- © SHAGGYPHOTO/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM fuel burning, a figure much higher than pre- national Maritime Organization (IMO) to viously thought, according to new research phase out all scrubbers. The study includes or prohibit scrubber discharges from both led by Harvard University and published in a comparison of the emissions associated open-loop and closed-loop systems. This the journal Environment Research. with ships equipped with scrubbers us- could include an immediate prohibition The study “Global mortality from out- ing 2.6% sulphur heavy fuel oil (HFO) on scrubber discharges in ports, internal door fine particle pollution generated to ships without scrubbers using 0.7% waters, and territorial seas. Internationally, by fossil fuel combustion: Results from sulphur marine gas oil (MGO). the IMO should consider prohibiting the GEOS-Chem” shows that more 8.7 million Regarding air emissions, the results use of scrubbers on newbuild ships and show that: phasing out scrubbers on existing ships, people around the globe die each year as • a result of breathing in fine particle (PM) SO₂ emissions from ships using HFO because scrubbers are not equivalently ef- pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. and scrubbers are on average 31% lower fective at reducing air pollution compared Regions with the highest concentrations than from ships using MGO. to using lower-sulphur fuels. • of fossil-fuel-related air pollution, includ- PM emissions are nearly 70% higher ing eastern North America, Europe, and using HFO with a scrubber compared Source: ICCT, 24 November 2020. MGO South-East Asia, have the highest rates with . The study: https://theicct.org/publications/air- • of mortality. Black carbon emissions are 81% higher water-pollution-scrubbers-2020 “Our study adds to the mounting using HFO with a scrubber than using evidence that air pollution from ongoing MGO in a medium-speed diesel engine dependence on fossil fuels is detrimental to and more than 4.5 times higher than Support for Mediterrane- global health. We can’t in good conscience using MGO in a slow-speed diesel engine. an Emission Control Area continue to rely on fossil fuels, when we know that there are such severe effects on The authors conclude that scrubbers are Experts, politicians and environmentalists health and viable, cleaner alternatives,” not equivalently effective at reducing who participated in a workshop organised said co-author Eloise Marais at UCL. total air pollution emissions compared by the German Nature And Biodiversity to using MGO. Moreover, direct CO₂ Conservation Union (NABU) agreed that Source: UCL News, 9 February 2021. Link: https:// emissions are 4% higher using HFO with the timeline to implement a Mediterranean www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/feb/fossil-fuel-air- a scrubber compared to MGO, and even Emission Control Area (ECA) for ships is pollution-responsible-1-5-deaths-worldwide though HFO has lower upstream emissions lacking in urgency and scope of content. than MGO, the extra fuel consumption While other ECAs implemented back Clean Air Day 2021 associated with powering the scrubber in 2015 will now also cover emissions of results in 1.1% higher CO₂ emissions on nitrogen oxides, the current plan for the Charity Global Action Plan has announced a life-cycle basis when using HFO. Mediterranean only covers sulphur dioxide that this year’s Clean Air Day will take place and will not be effective before 2024. on 17 June. The aim is to provide the public Regarding water emissions, the study French member of the European Par- with resources that will enable businesses, finds that: liament Catherine Chabaud called for schools, parents and local authorities to • Scrubber discharges typically comply stricter regulation of emissions from ships, take action to reduce air pollution. with IMO guidelines, but all scrubbers noting that there should be ECAs for both “While face-to-face events will continue – open-loop, closed-loop, and hybrid SO₂ and NOx, not only for the Mediter- to be restricted this year, we hope people – discharge water that is more acidic ranean Sea, but for all European waters. and organisations still make efforts to leave and turbid than the surrounding water. Studies presented at the workshop the car at home, hold knowledge-sharing This contributes to ocean acidification showed that combined SO₂ and NOx online events, share information and in- and worsens water quality. ECAs will bring huge benefits to health, spiration on social media and ensure that • All scrubbers emit nitrates, PAHs, and environment and the economy, concluded the demand for clean air is heard across heavy metals that accumulate in the Sönke Diesener, Transport Policy Officer the media to protect our children,” said environment and food web and can at NABU and coordinator of the MedECA Larissa Lockwood, director of Clean Air negatively affect both water quality NGO network. at Global Action Plan. and marine life.

Source: Air Quality News, 1 February 2021. Source: Safety4sea, 3 December 2020. Given these findings, theICCT rec- Link: https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/clean- ommends that individual governments Link to workshop documentation: https://en.nabu. air/clean-air-day continue to take unilateral action to restrict de/topics/traffic/eca/index.html

ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021 27 B ECONOMIQUE

Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat Första Långgatan 18 413 28 Göteborg Sweden Recent publications from the Secretariat Reports can be downloaded in PDF format from www.airclim.org Coming events Climate and AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE SERIES 36 Cost-benefit Health (September Cost-benefit analysis of EU Environment Council. Brussels, 18 March 2021. Informa- NOx control for ships in analysis of NOx 2020). By Björn the Baltic Sea and the tion: www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/calendar/ North Sea control for ships Fagerberg, Bertil By Katarina Yaramenka, Hulda Winnes, Stefan Åström, Erik Fridell in the Baltic Sea IMO PPR 8 (Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Forsberg, Sofia and the North Response). Remote meeting, 22 – 26 March 2021. Information: www.imo.org Hammarstrand, Sea (April 2017). By Laura Maclachlan, Katarina Yaramenka, International Transport and Air Pollution (TAP) Confer- Maria Nilsson and Hulda Winnes, ence. Remote meeting, 30 – 31 March 2021. Information: www. Anna-Carin Olin. Stefan Åström, Erik tapconference.org

Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat Fridell. CLRTAP Working Group on Strategies and Review. Geneva, Switzerland, 17 – 20 May 2021. Information: www.unece.org/ Geoengineering Climate change env/lrtap/welcome.html technologies and Biodiversity IMO 8th Intersessional Working Group on reduction of 2018/2019 in the Tropical GHG emissions from ships. Remote meeting, 24 – 28 May (September 2020). Andes (2020). 2021. Information: www.imo.org By Fredrik Lundberg. By Catalina María 8th Global Nitrogen Conference (INI2021). Remote meeting, Solar radiation Gonda 31 May – 3 June 2021. Information: https://ini2021.com/ management is not Two major crises EU Green Week - Focus on “zero pollution ambition”. 31 needed. pose severe threats May – 4 June 2021. Information: https://ec.europa.eu/info/ for life on Earth. events/eu-green-week-2021_en

UN FCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference. Bonn, Germany, 31 May – 10 June 2021. Information: http://unfccc.int/ AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE SERIES What will it 39 Clearing the air What will it take to phase take to phase CLEARING IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC out greenhouse gas emis- THE AIR (Feb 2017).A critical 76). Remote meeting, 10 – 17 June 2021. Information: www. sions from road traffic in out greenhouse A CRITICAL GUIDE TO THE NEW NATIONAL EMISSION guide to the new imo.org the Nordic-Baltic region gas emissions CEILINGS DIRECTIVE by 2030–2035? National Emissions by Mats-Ola Larsson from road traffic EU Environment Council. Luxembourg, 21 June 2021. Informa- Ceilings directive. in the Nordic- tion: www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/calendar/ Baltic region by CLRTAP EMEP Steering Body + Working Group on Effects. 2030-2035? (March Geneva, Switzerland, 13 – 17 September 2021. Information: 2018). By Mats-Ola www.unece.org/env/lrtap/welcome.html Larsson. A conceiv- Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition. Milan, Italy, 28 – 30 able scenario. September 2021. Information: https://www.minambiente.it/ pagina/towards-cop26-pre-cop-and-youth-event-youth4cli- Phasing out coal mate-driving-ambition Climate change Briefing No.16, February 2019 Climate policy in Europe by 2025 PreCop26. Milan, Italy, 30 September – 2 October 2021. Infor- and the Andean Phasing out coal in Cryosphere (2019). Europe by 2025 (Feb 2019). By mation: https://www.minambiente.it/pagina/towards-cop26- pre-cop-and-youth-event-youth4climate-driving-ambition S ea a O k of Alask ho t sk E a st S i b er i a n Fredrik Lundberg. ea S e r t S a u f o J a By Catalina María ea p a B n S ea o f

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C Ic eland n coal power stations Paphos, Cyprus, 11 – 15 October 2021. Information: http://www. a t nland s sphere has unique Fi h T k he Fa a eroes z N (Den.) a orway ia K o N den Eston r Swe a t e S h c via i Lat A t n t N or th l nia a l a Lithua st O a n Denmark B ki c t Russia us e e i c Sea Belar zb a U n n Irelan a d C st The oland e a ni United Netherlands P a i n sp e Kingd k r i a m ozoneandplants2020.com om U Germany n rk ch of u Belgium Cze a ep. a S T Rep. Slovaki R ldov e throughout Europe Mo ia a Luxembourg org Liechtenstein Austria y Ge functions and influ- ungar i a ia H m a n S ea en Switzerland R o k rm Slovenia tia l a c A B ay of F r a n c e Croa B Bosnia B i sc San Marino and ia ria ay Serb Bulga n v a Yugosla y r e former e I A “th ublic of k z Monaco Rep ia” r or a Macedon Tu Po es Andorra Italy Albani rt.) Po ce rtuga Gree i a l S y r a q S p a i n I r s n pru ano Cy Leb l n M alta e a Israe rda adeir M S Jo (Po a e a n rt.) A l g e r i a r r a n and a proposal of i t e M Tunisia M e d Ca orocc ences the physical, nary o p t Is y ( land non-member state of the Council of Europe (Belarus) E g Spa.) s b y a IMO 9th Intersessional Working Group on reduction of L i biological and social phasing out coal by GHG emissions from ships. London, UK, 18 – 22 October 2021. 2025. Information: www.imo.org systems. Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat 1 IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 77). London, UK, 1 – 5 November 2021. Information: www. imo.org Subcribe to Acid News via email UN FCCC COP26. Glasgow, UK, 1 – 12 November 2021. Informa- tion: http://unfccc.int/ Are you receiving the printed copy This way, you’ll get access to Acid 2021 Global Conference on Health and Climate of Acid News but missing out on the News at least two weeks before the Change. Glasgow, UK, 6 – 7 November 2021. Information: online version? Sign up on our website printed copy arrives in the mail. https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/11/06/ default-calendar/2021-global-conference-on-health-and- to receive an email announcement airclim.org/acidnews/an_subscribe.php climate-change

when each issue of Acid News becomes CLRTAP Executive Body. Geneva, Switzerland, 6 – 10 December available online. 2021. Information: www.unece.org/env/lrtap/welcome.html

28 ACID NEWS NO. 1, MARCH 2021