Ambient Air Quality Refer to Section 2.5 of the Guidance Note

Home , Manglerud (station), Oslo Package 1, Oslo Package 2, Smestad (station)

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5. Ambient air quality Refer to Section 2.5 of the Guidance Note

5A. Present Situation

Indicator Unit Year of data Max Number of days per year on which EU target 0 Days 2015 value for ozone was exceeded (8h mean) Number of ozone No of monitoring stations 2 monitoring 2015 stations Max Number of days per year on which EU target 26 Days 2015 value for PM10 was Hjortnes, road side exceeded (24h mean) Number of PM10 No of monitoring stations 11 monitoring 2015 stations PM10 - Max 24 concentration recorded (max annual mean) ug/m3 2015 Hjortnes, road side Number of NO2 No of monitoring stations 10 monitoring 2015 stations NO2 - Max concentration 53 recorded (max annual mean) ug/m3 2015 Smestad, road side NO2 - Annual Average Urban background concentration stations: Grønland: 27 Breivoll: 27

Road side stations: Kirkeveien: 35 ug/m3 2015 Alnabru: 43 Manglerud: 42 RV 4 Aker: 31 Smestad: 53 Bygdøy allé: 51 Hjortnes: 44 Åkebergveien: 31 Number of PM2.5 No of monitoring stations 10 monitoring 2015 stations

PM2.5- Max concentration 9 3 ug/m 2015 recorded (max annual mean)

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PM2.5- Annual Average Urban background concentration stations: Sofienbergparken: 9 Breivoll: 8

Road side stations: Kirkeveien: 9 ug/m3 2015 Manglerud: 8 Bygdøy allé: 8 Alnabru: No data Hjortnes: 9 RV 4 Aker: 7 Smestad: 8 Åkebergveien: 8

Systematic air quality monitoring over many years Air quality monitoring began in Oslo in the 1950s. The number of monitoring stations has been steadily growing over the years. The current configuration of 4 background stations and 8 roadside stations in Oslo’s urban area (figure 5.1) has been in operation since 2014. The regional background for ozone is measured at a site to the west of Oslo, in the municipality of Bærum, whilst PM and NO2 are monitored at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research’s station at Birkenes in southern Norway. Air quality in the urban background is generally good, despite the use of wood burning stoves being common in certain areas of the city. Oslo’s urban background has complied with the ambient air quality directive since its implementation, with the exception of two years (2010 and 2011) when the limit values for hourly and annual mean for NO2 were exceeded.

Figure 5.1: Overview of air quality monitoring stations in Oslo (2013). One of the current urban background stations, Breivoll, was established in 2014 and is therefore not included on the map. Orange lines indicate roads with reduced speed limits – see section 5B, below.

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Compliance, improvements and challenges Ozone levels are well under the EU target value because of rapid, local break down by the NO component of NOx emitted from road traffic. Ozone generating photochemical reactions on the other hand, are much slower and may occur over a larger area.

Oslo’s first air quality action plan resulted in a significant improvement in the number of exceedances of the daily mean value for PM10. Since 2007, the levels have, in general, complied with the EU Directive’s limit value of maximum 35 exceedances per year (figure 5.2). The only exception to this is in 2013, when the limit value was exceeded at one of the monitoring stations. The reasons for the exceedance in 2013 are complex. However, a main factor was unusually dry weather, limiting the effects on the available abatement measures.

The EU Directive’s limit value for the annual mean concentration of PM10 has not been exceeded at any monitoring station in Oslo in the past decade. This may be explained by approximately 60-70 % of PM10 pollution arising from sources which are confined to the winter months, i.e. wood burning and road wear from studded winter tyres. In addition, meteorological conditions, which lead to temperature inversions and high levels of pollution, are also confined to the winter months.

Similarly, PM2.5 concentrations are primarily influenced by combustion emissions, which are most significant during the winter months. Therefore, it is the low summer contributions to the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5, which attenuate the annual mean values, leading to compliance.

The annual mean concentration of NO2 has remained relatively stable for a number of years (figure 5.3), despite the widespread introduction of catalytic converters to petrol cars. This is a consequence of the increased proportion of diesel vehicles with high emissions of NOX/NO2. The EU limit value is exceeded, especially along roads with heavy traffic.

In periods of temperature inversions in the winter months, the EU limit value for hourly mean concentrations of NO2 is also exceeded, especially along roads with heavy traffic (figure 5.4). The weather conditions strongly affect the number of exceedances per year.

Kirkeveien R 50 Alnabru R

40 Manglerud R Skøyen U 30 Rv 4 Aker R Sofienbergp. U 20 Bygdøy allé R Smestad R Number of exceedances 10 Hjortnes R Åkebergveien R 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Breivoll U Year

3 Figure 5.2: Number of days per year the daily mean value for PM10 (50 µg/m ) was exceeded in the period 2005-2015. The red line indicates the EU Directive’s requirement of maximum 35 exceedances p.a. R=Road-side; U=Urban background. Source: City of Oslo and Norwegian Public Roads Administration 3

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70 Grønland U

3 60 Kirkeveien R 50 Alnabru R Manglerud R 40 Bygdøy allé R 30 Hjortnes R Åkebergveien R

Concentration, µg/m 20 RV 4 Aker R 10 Smestad R 0 Breivoll U 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year

3 Figure 5.3: Annual mean concentration of NO2 (µg/m ) in the period 2005-2015. The red line indicates the EU Directive’s limit value of 40 µg/m3. R=Road-side; U=Urban background. Source: City of Oslo and Norwegian Public Roads Administration

250

200 Grønland U Kirkeveien R Alnabru R 150 Manglerud R Bygdøy allé R 100 Hjortnes R Åkebergveien R

Number of exceedances 50 RV 4 Aker R Smestad R 0 Breivoll U 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year

3 Figure 5.4: Number of hours per year the mean value for NO2 (200 µg/m ) was exceeded in the period 2005-2015. The red line indicates the EU Directive’s requirement of maximum 18 exceedances p.a. R=Road-side; U=Urban background. Source: City of Oslo and Norwegian Public Roads Administration

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Contribution from long-range transport The contribution from long-range transport to the annual mean concentration of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter was estimated in 2014 in Oslo’s air quality action plan (5D1). The contribution to NOx is relatively small, at just 12 %, whilst the contributions to PM10 and PM2.5 are significantly higher, at 44 % and 56 %, respectively.

Factors and constraints Oslo is located in a bowl formation in the terrain, the city centre being surrounded by hills to the north and the Oslo Fjord to the south. At times, large areas of the city may be affected by poor air quality during the weather phenomenon known as temperature inversion. Prolonged inversions occur generally within the coldest months, i.e., the period of December to February. The combination of Oslo’s bowl shaped topography, and a cold layer of air trapped under a warm layer, leads to poor air exchange. This in turn leads to increased levels of air pollution. Winters in Oslo are cold and snowy with average temperatures around - 4°C. Winter air quality is therefore affected by the prevalence of emissions from heating appliances, as well as increased emissions from cold starting of vehicles. In addition, studded winter tyres, which are used to improve traction on icy roads, have the disadvantage of increasing wear on bare asphalt compared with non- studded alternatives.

Figure 5.5: Winter weather in Oslo showing a temperature inversion episode.

The share of diesel cars increased from 9 % to 46 % in the period 2004-2015. The increase has arisen as a consequence of the Norwegian government’s change to the one-off vehicle registration tax, in order to favour vehicles with lower CO2 emissions. In real traffic, the emissions of NOX from diesel cars are high, especially in cold weather. In addition, diesel cars have a higher direct emission of NO2 than petrol cars. The relative contributions to total NO2 emissions in Oslo are 54 % and 3 %, respectively.

A number of national trunk roads pass directly through the city (e.g., the motorways E6 and E18, see figure 5.1) and road traffic emissions contribute significantly to air pollution. Population growth in the Oslo area is considerable, having increased by 30 % since the year 2000, leading to increased economic activity and environmental pressures, including air pollution.

In the summer months, the air quality in Oslo is in general good. The favourable meteorological conditions in the summer months, with typical unstable air masses rapidly dilute emissions. The urban heat island effect on air pollution is not a significant factor. 5

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5B. Past Performance – Oslo on the way to Zero Emissions

Managing Air Quality Oslo has a third-generation action plan (5D1), following requirements in the EU Air Quality Directive. The action plan was adopted by the City Council in 2015 (5D2) and is actively followed-up (5D18).

3 effective measures against resuspended road dust A combination of three measures has been particularly effective in reducing PM10 levels in the last decade:

 Charge on the use of studded winter tyres has increased the share of non-studded tyres from 50% in 1999 to a stable 85-86% from 2010 onwards. This reduces dust generated by road wear.

 Road cleaning and use of dust suppressant.

 Reduced speed limits on selected roads (figure 5.1). Speed reduction of 10 km/h in the winter months reduces PM10 concentrations by as Figure 5.6: Studded tyre campaign much as 39%. poster: “Off with the studs”

Grants to reduce particle emissions from wood burning stoves There are around 63,000 wood burning stoves in Oslo. Approximately one third are modern, clean burning models with low particle emissions. Oslo promotes replacing dirty stoves through financial incentives available in the Oslo’s Climate and Energy Fund. From 1998 to 2015, a total of EUR 3.1 million has been granted for the replacement of approximately 9200 stoves. This is estimated to have reduced annual particle emissions in Oslo by 70.3 tonnes.

Coordinated urban development and transportation planning Preventing urban sprawl has been Oslo’s policy for many years. This strategy primarily includes densification around public transport hubs, improving the public transport system and bicycle infrastructure, and limiting car use. In addition, building in the green belt around the city is prohibited. The Municipal Master Plan (5D3) is the principal document steering this policy.

A number of major projects and measures related to transportation planning have been implemented:

 The toll ring system raises money for transport infrastructure projects and has reduced the road traffic volumes to some extent (approx. 7 % reduction in the number of cars passing the toll ring from 2007 to 2014, se figure 5.7).

 The Master transport plan for Oslo and Akershus (Oslo Package 2), which ran from 2002- 2011, was a large portfolio of public transport development projects in the Oslo area, financed by road tolls and grants from the state, the City of Oslo and neighbouring Akershus County, worth EUR 2 billion. Completed projects include a new metro ring, construction of bus lanes, improvements to the reliability, user-friendliness and attractiveness of bus and tram networks, and the modernisation of stations (5D12).

 Oslo Package 3, the continuation of Oslo Package 2, was introduced in 2008 and is planned to continue to 2036 (5D5). The programme further develops transport infrastructure in the Oslo area, especially public transport. (See also section 5C). Completed projects so far (2008- 2014) include new and/or improved metro and train lines, construction of bicycle and bus lanes and higher frequency. Since the introduction of Oslo Package 3 there has been a significant shift in the transport modes from private to public. (5D20:GoodPractice3).

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 Oslo instituted restrictions on parking, including a 50 % increase in parking fees in the city centre from January 2016.

Oslo toll ring ‐ average number of cars per day

270000 the

260000 day

through 250000

per 240000 ring passing

230000 toll

cars 220000 of

Oslo 210000 200000 Number 1996 2000 2004 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Mean per day 226011240451248237260898256779245136243835243162244019243270242228

Figure 5.7: Average number of cars passing through the Oslo toll ring per day in the period 1996- 2014. After 2008, the number of cars that crossed the toll barrier fell, despite population growth. Part of the explanation is a toll-price increase, combined with reduced fares on public transport. Source: Projections made by the City of Oslo (5D11), based on data from Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

57 % of all public transport journeys in Oslo are made by trains, trams or the metro (figure 5.8). The majority of buses run by Oslo’s public transport company meet Euro V (70 %) or Euro VI (20 %) standards.

Figure 5.8: 57% of all public transport journeys in Oslo are made by trains, trams or the metro, which run on emission-free renewable energy with a “guarantee of origin”. Buses account for 42%, and are becoming increasingly environmentally efficient.Source: 5D13 7

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Oslo is the world capital of electrical vehicles (EVs). Over 30 % of all new cars sold in Oslo in 2015 and 2016 (by September) were EVs. The City of Oslo is replacing its car fleet (1100 cars) with EVs and is half way there. Currently, there are approximately 2000 charging points for EVs and the City is one of the world’s largest owners of charging infrastructure (5D21:GoodPractice2).

Local ferries on important commuter routes run on natural gas. The Port of Oslo provides onshore power supply from hydro power. Currently, one of the largest operators, Color Line, uses shore based power when docked in Oslo. This reduces NOX emissions by 50,000 tonnes each year.

Figure 5.9: Illustration of green mobility measures in Oslo: hydrogen station, hydrogen bus, shore- based electricity for ships, city bikes, electric charge point with free parking and biogas bus.

Informing the public about air quality Air quality information is available on the City of Oslo’s website (www.oslo.kommune.no), and on the websites www.luftkvalitet.info and www.airqualitynow.eu. Oslo provides daily winter air quality forecasts through the Internet, or via subscription to e-mail or text messaging services. Air quality also receives a great deal of media attention in the winter.

Use of micro sensors to monitor air quality The City of Oslo was an associated partner in the EU funded projects CITI-SENSE and Citi-Sense- MOB (5D10) in 2013-2016. The main idea was to increase the spatial coverage of air quality monitoring by using low cost micro-sensors, both static and portable, and explore how this type of technology can create better and more detailed information for the public in the future.

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Figure 5.10: CITI-SENSE-project in Oslo. Portable air quality monitor testing (left) and website displaying monitoring data in real time (right). Source: Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU).

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5C. Future Plans – The road to zero emissions continues

Oslo’s primary ambition is to comply with current air quality legislation. A third generation action plan was adopted by the City Council in 2015 (5D2). The City Government has set ambitious goals; to reduce traffic by 20 % in the period 2015-2019, and to reduce the emissions of NOX by 60 % before 2022 (5D4).

Revised Oslo Package 3 – developing public transport and improving air quality In 2016 Oslo Package 3 was renegotiated resulting in an investment budget of approx. EUR 8 billion (toll ring revenues) for the period 2017-2036. In Oslo, 93 % of the revenues will be set aside for further developments of the public transport system (5D6).

The revised agreement aims to reduce traffic by 15 % by 2019, and emphasizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Therefore, the agreement includes a general increase in the toll ring charges starting from 2017. The new designed toll ring will introduce congestion and emission based pricing (figure 5.11) which is expected to lead to an increased transition to cleaner vehicles. This, in turn, will contribute to improving the air quality in Oslo in the coming years (figure 5.12).

Today’s charges Light duty Heavy duty vehicles - vehicles - Light duty vehicles zero Heavy duty vehicles zero emission emission € 3.6 0 € 10.8 0

Revised Oslo Package 3 charges

Light duty Light duty Heavy duty Heavy duty Light duty Heavy duty vehicles - vehicles - vehicles - vehicles - vehicles - vehicles - petrol and zero Euro V and zero diesel Euro VI hybrid emission older emission

Stage 1: € 5.2 € 4.7 € 17.4 € 10.9 March 1, 2017- (+ € 1.1 (+ € 1.1 0 (+ € 3.3 (+ € 3.3 0 December during rush during rush during rush during rush 31, 2017 hours) hours) hours) hours)

Stage 2: € 5.2 € 4.7 € 1.1 € 17.4 € 10.9 January 1, 2018- (+ € 1.1 (+ € 1.1 (+ € 1.1 (+ € 3.3 (+ € 3.3 0 December during rush during rush during rush during rush during rush 31, 2019 hours) hours) hours) hours) hours)

€ 5.2 € 4.7 € 2.2 € 17.4 € 10.9 Stage 3: January 1, (+ € 1.1 (+ € 1.1 (+ € 1.1 (+ € 3.3 (+ € 3.3 0 2020 → during rush during rush during rush during rush during rush hours) hours) hours) hours) hours) Figure 5.11: The toll ring charges today and increased charges starting from 2017. Source: 5D6

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Figure 5.12: Annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in Oslo, calculated for the present situation 2014 (top) and for 2022 (bottom), the latter including the effects of the revised Oslo Package 3. Source: Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU).

If proven through the annual reporting that the target of 15 % reduction in traffic will not be met, the revised Oslo Package 3 agreement opens for renegotiation at any parties’ request.

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Strengthening the measures to reduce resuspended road dust Measures adopted in the Air Quality Action Plan in 2015 include more frequent road cleaning, especially in prolonged dry weather periods. In addition, the current speed limits on main roads will be reduced by an additional 10 km/h (from 70 km/h to 60 km/h), starting from November 1, 2016 (5D2).

Ban on diesel vehicles and increasing the toll ring charges on days with poor air quality During the coldest months, large areas of the city may be affected by poor air quality during prolonged temperature inversions (see section 5A). The City of Oslo has an emergency scheme in these situations, which from 2016 also includes a diesel vehicle ban, as adopted in the air quality action plan in 2015 (5D2). A ban on diesel vehicles is estimated to reduce NOX emissions by approx. 22-24 % per day (5D14). As part of the emergency scheme, Oslo is also working towards implementing a system where the toll ring charges are quintupled on days with poor air quality.

Fossil Free 2020 Ruter is the region’s public transport company. Through its project Fossil Free 2020 public transport in the region will be powered solely by renewable energy in 2020 (5D8) (5D22). Electrification will be an important solution in the bus fleet in Oslo (figure 5.13). Large scale roll-out of battery electric buses will start in 2020, while testing will be carried out in the coming years. The first tests are planned to be in operation by mid-2017. Ruter will also introduce renewable solutions on its ferry services in the Oslo fjord. Fossil Free 2020 has, until now, received EUR 2.5 mill in funding from the Oslo budget (5D7). In addition, by 2020, all of Ruter’s buses will meet Euro VI standard.

Figure 5.13: Planned development of the energy sources in the Oslo region bus fleet between 2015 and 2025. Source: Ruter, the region’s public transport company.

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Establishment of a car free zone in the city centre To create a better urban environment, including reducing air pollution, Oslo is aiming at making the inner city centre car free by 2019 (5D9, 5D23). The designated area is covering approximately 1.7 km2 (figure 5.14). The result will be a more vibrant city center that focuses on people rather than cars. The project is currently working on establishing pragmatic and smart solutions, and considering how a carfree city center can contribute to shape the city’s identity and character.

Figure 5.14: The map shows the area of the inner city centre which is planned to be transformed into a car free zone by 2019, approximately 1.7 km2. Source: 5D9

Low Emission Zones in Oslo? To comply with the EU target values for NO2, Oslo has for many years sought the possibility to implement low emission zones. However, the necessary national legislation is still pending.

A newly conducted concept study in Oslo (5D15) shows that low emission zones, targeted at diesel vehicles, could give significant reductions in the NO2-levels in the years ahead by further increasing the transition to cleaner vehicles (figure 5.15). By introducing low emission zones, Oslo aims to reduce the number of people exposed to annual mean concentrations of NO2 above the EU limit value, calculated for the year 2018, from approx. 8800 (Business as usual scenario) to approx. 2300 (Low Emission Zone scenario).

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90 80 70 60 50 % 40 30 20 10 0 Diesel Petrol and hybrid Zero‐emission Euro V and older Euro VI Light duty vehicles Heavy duty vehicles

Business as usual scenario Low Emission Zone scenario

Figure 5.15: Expected shares of different vehicle types in Oslo in 2018 in the Business as usual scenario, which includes the effects of the revised Oslo Package 3, compared with the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) scenario. Source: 5D15.

Revision of the air quality action plan in 2016/2017 The air quality action plan Oslo is currently being revised, as the EU limit values for NO2 is not met. In addition, from 2016, Norway has set stricter limit values for PM10 and PM2.5 than the EU limit values (5D16). The revision will be completed by June 1, 2017.

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5D. References

PLANS AND PROGRAMMES

1. Air Quality Action Plan for Oslo and Bærum municipality 2015-2020 (Norwegian)

2. Revised action plan to improve air quality in Oslo 2015-2020 (Norwegian) City Council adopting the third-generation Air Quality Action Plan for Oslo (May 20, 2015).

3. The 2015 Municipal Master Plan: Oslo towards 2030 (Norwegian) Smart, Resilient and Green

4. Platform of city government cooperation (Norwegian) Between the Labour Party, the Green Party and the Socialist Left Party in Oslo 2015-2019.

5. Program website for Oslo package 3 (Norwegian) A programme for further development of transport infrastructure in Oslo and the neighbouring county of Akershus for the period 2008-2036.

6. Revised Oslo Package 3 agreement (Norwegian) Revised Oslo Package 3 agreement for the period 2017-2036. Political agreement signed June 5, 2016.

7. The proposed Municipal Budget 2017 and the proposed Economic Plan 2017-2020 (Norwegian)

8. Ruters Environmental Strategy 2014-2020 (Norwegian) Oslo’s public transport company, Ruter, has an environmental strategy that has set long term targets for aerial emissions.

9. Project website for Carfree citylife in Oslo (Norwegian)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

10. Website: CITI-SENSE (English) Information about the projects CITI-SENSE and Citi-Sense-MOB in Oslo

11. The City of Oslo Statistics (Norwegian)

12. Report: Oslo package 1, 2 and 3: history, status and challenges (Norwegian)

13. Report: Travel habits in the Oslo area. 2015 (Norwegian) PROSAM report 218.

14. Report: Ban of diesel vehicles – Impact Assessment. 2016 (Norwegian) COWI

15. Report: Concept Study of Low Emission Zones in Oslo. 2016 (Norwegian) City of Oslo/Agency for Urban Environment, COWI and Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)

16. Norwegian Pollution Regulations (Norwegian) Limit values for ambient air quality are listed in Article 7-6.

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WEBSITES ON AIR QUALITY

17. Air quality status in Oslo and other Norwegian cities (Norwegian) Monitoring data, reports and air quality forecasts

18. The City of Oslo’s Website Air Quality in Oslo (Norwegian) Presents information on Oslo’s work with air quality, including implementation status of Oslo’s air quality action plan

19. Air quality status in Oslo and other European cities (English)

20. Good Practice 3 in the Application: The toll ring - developing public transport and reducing traffic (English)

21. Good Practice 2 in the Application: Oslo - The electrical vehicles capital of the World (English)

22. Best Practices in The City of Oslo: Fossil Free transportation 2020 (English)

23. Best Practices in The City of Oslo: Carfree citylife in Oslo (English)