Emissions of air pollutants from transport

Assessment versions

Published (reviewed and quality assured)

• No published assessments

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

This indicator analyses the emissions from transport of CO, NO_x, NMVOCs, PM_10, PM_2.5 and SO_x over time. These pollutants can be grouped into acidifying substances, particulate matters and ozone precursors. Transport contributes significantly to emissions of NO_x, NMVOCs, PM and CO. NO_x contributes to acidification, the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate formation.

Acidifying substances: the acidification of soils and waters is caused by emissions of NO_x, SO_x and NH₃ into the atmosphere, and their subsequent chemical reactions and depositions in ecosystems and on materials. The deposition of acidifying substances causes damage to ecosystems, buildings and other materials (corrosion).

Particulate formation: airborne PM has adverse effects on human health and can be responsible for and/or contribute to a number of respiratory problems. In this assessment, 'particulate formation' refers to primary emissions of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 and emissions of precursors (NO_x, SO_x and NH₃), which lead to the secondary physico-chemical production of inorganic PM in the atmosphere (secondary PM). A large fraction of the urban population is exposed to levels of fine PM in excess of air quality limit values set for the protection of human health.

Ozone precursors: emissions of NMVOCs, NO_x, CO and methane (CH₄) contribute to the formation of ground-level (tropospheric) ozone, which has adverse effects on human health and ecosystems.

Scientific references

• No rationale references available

Indicator definition

This indicator is based on the assessment of emissions trends of CO, NO_x, NMVOCs, SO_x and primary particulates. 

Units

Emissions are expressed as a percentage of 1990 levels (except for PM emissions, which are expressed as a percentage of 2000 levels).

Policy context and targets

Context description

Directive 2008/50/EC (EC, 2008) sets limit values for the atmospheric concentrations of the main pollutants, including sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), airborne PM (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), lead, CO, benzene and ozone (O₃) for EU Member States. These limits are related to transport implicitly, but the introduction of progressively stricter Euro emissions standards and fuel quality standards has led to substantial reductions in air pollutant emissions. Policies aimed at reducing fuel consumption in the transport sector, to cut greenhouse gas emissions, may also help to further reduce air pollutant emissions.

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are not members of the EU and hence have no emission ceilings set under the revised National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD), Directive (EU) 2016/2284. As well as most of the EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland have ratified the 1999 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) Gothenburg Protocol, which required them to reduce their emissions to the agreed ceiling, specified in the protocol, by 2010. Liechtenstein has also signed, but has not ratified, the protocol.

Targets

Both the NECD and the Gothenburg Protocol set reduction targets for SO₂, NO_x, NMVOCs and NH₃ for the EEA-33 member countries. There are substantial differences in emission ceilings and, hence, emission reduction percentages for different countries, due to the different sensitivities of the ecosystems affected and the technical feasibility of making reductions.

Related policy documents

• 1999 Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone
  Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution 1999 Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone, amended on 4 May 2012.
• Council Directive 96/61/EC (IPPC)
  Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC). Official Journal L 257.
• Directive (EU) 2016/2284, reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants
  The directive is amending Directive 2003/35/EC (providing for public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment) and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. It entered into force at the end of 2016 and aims at compliance with the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol. In July 2017, the EU ratified the 2012 amendments to the 1999 protocol.
• Directive 98/70/EC, quality of petrol and diesel fuels
  Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 93/12/EEC
• Directive 2001/80/EC, large combustion plants
  Directive 2001/80/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2001 on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants
• Directive 2008/50/EC, air quality
  Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

For air pollutants, data officially reported to the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP)/LRTAP Convention have been used. According to reporting requirements, emission figures for all pollutants are available from 1990, and for PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and total suspended particles (TSP) from 2000.

Methodology for gap filling

Where a complete time series of emission data has not been reported, data have been gap filled according to the methodologies of the European Environment Agency's (EEA's) European Topic Centre on Air and Climate Change (ETC/ACC). Details of the gap-filling procedure for the air pollutant data set are described in the EU emission inventory report 1990-2017 under the UNECE's Convention on LRTAP (EEA Technical Report No 8/2019).

Methodology references

• EU emission inventory report European Union emission inventory report 1990-2017 under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) , EEA Technical report No 8/2019.

Data specifications

EEA data references

• National emissions reported to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention) provided by European Environment Agency (EEA)

Data sources in latest figures

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

Interpolation/extrapolation procedures are used to gap fill the underlying emission data set.

Data sets uncertainty

For the quantification of uncertainty, the EU LRTAP emissions inventory requires that Member States provide detailed information on uncertainties related to reported emissions data.

Rationale uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified