The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution

and Protocols

Martin WilliamsChairman of the Executive Body of the United Nations Economic

Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution

http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap

More than 20 years of international cooperation to combat air pollutionThe scientific basis dates back to the 1960sFirst emphasis on acidification leading to the

adoption of the Convention in 1979In 1980s ground-level ozone and eutrophication

become a target of actionSince 1990s, health-impacts are of major concern:

heavy metals, POPs, fine particles

CONVENTION ON LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION

50 Parties in Europe, North America and Central Asia

The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and its Protocols (all in force)

1979 Convention (50 Parties)

1983 Protocol on EMEP

1985 Protocol on Reduction of Sulphur Emissions

1988 Protocol to Control Nitrogen Oxide Emissions

1991 Protocol to Control VOC Emissions

1994 Protocol on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions

1998 Protocol on Heavy Metals

1998 Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants

1999 Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone

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1st generation Protocols:The 1985 Sulphur Protocol

Reduce sulphur emissions by at least 30% below 1980 levels

22 PartiesAll in full

compliance according to the Implementation Committee

1st generation Protocols:The 1988 NOx Protocol

Stabilize NOx emissions at 1987 levels

Apply BAT to new stationary and mobile sources

28 PartiesAll, but 7, in

compliance with emission control obligation 0

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1980

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1st generation Protocols:The 1991 VOC Protocol

Reduce VOC emission by 30% with a base year between 1984 and 1990 – options for special cases

Apply BAT to mobile and stationary sources

Product measures 21 Parties All, but 7, in

compliance with emission reduction obligation

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The multi-effect Protocol: the impact of the emission ceilings

Free Troposphere

Boundary Layer

N. America AsiaEurope

Intercontinental transport at northern mid-latitudes

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VERY LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT

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The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution - future action

Review of the Protocol on Heavy Metals (complete 2006)

Addition of new substances to the POPs Protocol – several substances are being reviewed for addition Review of the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone (complete in 2007) possible revision of the Protocol to follow Assessment of intercontinental transport of air pollutants

Outreach to other regions around the world

Implementation of the Convention’s EECCA action plan

In-depth review of reported emissions data to improve data quality

Continued focus on compliance with Protocol obligations

Need for Global Cooperation on Air Pollution Control and Prevention

– Health and environmental costs of air pollution are staggering

– Great deal of activity underway around the world; mostly uncoordinated

– Budgets are limited and need to avoid duplication of effort

– Science showing pollution to be regional, hemispheric and even global in nature

Need for Global Cooperation on Air Pollution Control and Prevention

• Critical need to develop and harmonizehigh quality air pollution data bases across the various regions

• Growing consensus on need for coordinated assessment and pollution control strategies at the hemispheric scale

• A comprehensive global atmospheric pollution convention is one possible outcome to address hemispheric and global pollution issues

• Until then, there are opportunities to build on the efforts of existing regional initiatives, networks, and institutions

The Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum

• Interim Management Committee Comprised of:

-- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-- UN Economic Commission for Europe/ Convention on

Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (UNECE/LRTAP)-- Clean Air Initiative (CAI)-- Air Pollution Information Network for Africa (APINA)

-- The Inter-American Network for Atmospheric/Biospheric Studies (IANABIS)

-- International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations

(IUAPPA)-- Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

• Secretariat provided by IUAPPA and SEI

Role of the Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum

1. Support efforts of regional networks to tackle air pollution at the regional, hemispheric and global scales; and support development of new networks, where needed

2. Promote sharing of experiences, collaboration and capacity building between regional networks

3. Promote discussion on more effective frameworks to address regional, hemispheric or global air pollution