air quality, energy and climate change: triple challenge...
TRANSCRIPT
Air quality, energy and climate change: triple challenge, triple opportunity
John van Aardenne (EEA)
Green Week 2013
The atmosphere’s composition changes, but the atmosphere does not distinguish between energy, climate and air quality policies
Air pollutants and greenhouse gases often originate from the same sources. Energy production and consumption is an important emission source Some air pollutants are climate forcers Some greenhouse gases are also air pollutants
Pressures: Co-emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases (unit as million tons of mass emitted; European Union)
Source: EEA (2012 UNFCCC and 2012 LRTAP inventory reports)
Energy
One of the challenges: reducing energy consumption and its environmental impact while ensuring energy security
Source: From EU 2013 GHG inventory (based on Eurostat’s energy balances)
Air quality
Challenge: Recognise achieved environmental improvements, but to take into account WHO insights that also low air pollutant concentrations are dangerous in the long term. Requires further emission reductions.
Source: draft EU 2013 air quality report
Percentage of the urban population in the EU exposed to air pollutant concentrations above the EU and WHO reference levels (2009 to 2011)
Climate change.
Challenge: Achieve global mitigation efforts limiting global temperature increases to 2 °C while at the same time preparing the European society to adapt to climate change
Source: EEA “Adaptation in Europe (2013), NOOA (2013)
Combined challenge: efforts to control climate change and air pollution includes co-benefits and trade-offs.
On the importance of integrating thematic areas/policies (a selection)
It is not only about the choice between ensuring energy security, clean air or mitigating climate change … Reduce costs of emission reductions: energy efficiency = avoided energy use=avoided end of pipe measures to be installed Air quality mitigation is part of climate adaptation: Successful air quality policy will increase resilience of citizens and ecosystems to environmental pressures such as heat/drought stress in relation to climate change Creating awareness about past and potential future trade-offs of policy: e.g. residential biomass combustion, waste from nuclear energy, air pollutants as short-lived climate forcers
Extra slides
Co-emitted species within specific sectors (i)
Contribution of emission source categories to the total emissions of the EU27 in the year 2010 (Unit: % of net total emission).
Source: EEA (2012 UNFCCC and 2012 LRTAP) Note: in the case of land use, land use change and forestry the contribution can be a negative value to the total emissions.
PM emissions , ? different PM composition *
Radiative forcing of atmospheric species and co-emission aspects
IPCC AR4 (2007) Figure 2.21. Components of RF for emissions of principal gases, aerosols and aerosol precursors and other changes. Values represent RF in 2005 due to emissions and changes since 1750. (S) and (T) next to gas species represent stratospheric and tropospheric changes, respectively.
NOx emissions , lifetime CH4 , O3 (T) ?
SO2 emissions , Radiative forcing
Fossil fuel consumption : CO2 , NOx , PM , SO2, , etc
Biofuel fuel consumption : Surface albedo?, emissions ?
Presenting air emissions by sector focussed on climate impact
Radiative forcing (RF) attributed to various pollutants and their indirect effects (AIE). Projection for the year 2020.
Source: Unger et al. (2010).
Black carbon is also an European problem
MACC makes daily estimates of the emission of aerosols from fires detected by satellite measurements of thermal radiation. It also assimilates satellite measurements of the optical depth of aerosols.