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Contribution to total change in acidifying pollutant emissions for each sector and pollutant (EU-15), 2002
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'Contribution to change' plots show the contribution to the total emission change between 1990-2002 made by a specified sector/pollutant.
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Contribution to total change in acidifying pollutant emissions for each sector and pollutant (EU15)
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''Contribution to change'' plots show the contribution to the total emission change between 1990-2004 made by a specified sector/pollutant.
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Contribution to total change in acidifying pollutant emissions for each sector and pollutant (EU-15)
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Contribution to change plots show the contribution to the total emission change between 1990-2002 made by a specified sector/pollutant.
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Contribution to total change in acidifying pollutants emissions for each sector and pollutant
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'Contribution to change' plots show the contribution to the total emission change between 1990-2006 made by a specified sector/pollutant
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Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions (APE 002) - Assessment published Dec 2011
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EEA-32 emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO X ) have decreased by 41% between 1990 and 2009. In 2009, the most significant sources of NO X emissions were the ‘Road transport’ sector (38%), ‘Energy production and distribution’ sector (22%), ‘Commercial, institutional and households’ sector (15%) and the ‘Energy use in industry’ sector (13%).
The largest reduction of emissions in absolute terms since 1990 has occurred in the road transport sector. These reductions have been achieved despite the general increase in activity within this sector since the early 1990s and have primarily been achieved as a result of fitting three-way catalysts to petrol fuelled vehicles. However, ambient urban concentrations of NO 2 in EU-27 countries in recent years have not fallen by as much as reported emissions. Since 2002, NO 2 average annual mean concentrations at urban background sites have fallen by just 9 %, as indicated in CSI 004, during which time the reported NO X emissions for the EU-27 decreased by 23%. This discrepancy may be a result of a general under-estimation of the effect of catalytic degradation in newer cars, in which case a number of member states’ NO X emissions could be significantly higher than currently calculated.
In the electricity/energy production sector reductions have also occurred, in these instances as a result of measures such as the introduction of combustion modification technologies (such as use of low NO X burners), implementation of flue-gas abatement techniques (e.g NO X scrubbers and selective (SCR) and non-selective (SNCR) catalytic reduction techniques) and fuel-switching from coal to gas.
The National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) specifies NO X emission ceilings for Member States that must be met by 2010. In general, the newer EU Member States have made substantially better progress towards meeting their respective NO X ceilings than the older Member States of the EU-15. Ten of the twelve post-2004 Member States had already reduced their 2009 emissions beyond what is required under the NECD, with the remaining two reporting NO X emissions less than 2% above the NECD target . In contrast, only four of the EU-15 Member States reported emissions for 2009 within their respective national ceilings. Thus many Member States required a significant reduction of NO X emissions to have been made in 2010 if they are to meet their obligations under the NECD. Of the three non-EU countries having emission ceilings set under the UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) only for Switzerland were emissions in 2009 below the level of their 2010 ceiling.
Environmental context: NO X contributes to acid deposition and eutrophication. The subsequent impacts of acid deposition can be significant, including adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems in rivers and lakes and damage to forests, crops and other vegetation. Eutrophication can lead to severe reductions in water quality with subsequent impacts including decreased biodiversity, changes in species composition and dominance, and toxicity effects. It is NO 2 that is associated with adverse affects on human health, as at high concentrations it can cause inflammation of the airways. NO 2 also contributes to the formation of secondary particulate aerosols and tropospheric ozone in the atmosphere - both are important air pollutants due to their adverse impacts on human health.
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Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions
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Emissions of acidifying substances (CSI 001) - Assessment published Dec 2011
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Emissions of the acidifying pollutants (nitrogen oxides (NO X ), sulphur oxides (SO X ) and ammonia (NH 3 ) have decreased significantly in most of the individual EEA member countries between 1990 and 2009. Emissions of SO X have decreased by 76%, NO X by 41% and NH 3 emissions by 26% since 1990.
The EU-27 is on track to meet its overall target to reduce emissions of SO X and NH 3 as specified by the EU’s National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NECD). However a number of individual Member States, and the EU as a whole, anticipates missing their NECD 2010 emission ceilings for NO X .
Of the three non-EU countries having emission ceilings for 2010 under the UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), both Liechtenstein and Norway reported NO X emissions in 2009 that were substantially higher than their respective 2010 ceilings.
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Emissions of acidifying substances
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Distance-to-target for EEA member countries
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Data are for acidifying pollutants. The distance to target results are shown in green (countries need to do more to be on track to meet their ceiling in 2010) and purple (countries are on track to meet their ceiling in 2010)
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Change in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2010 (EEA member countries)
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Percentage change in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2010.
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Change in sulphur oxides emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2010 (EEA member countries)
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Percentage change in sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2010.
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Change in sulphur oxides emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2009 (EEA member countries)
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Percentage change in sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2009.
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