Air pollution - National Responses (Hungary)

SOER 2010 Common environmental theme (Deprecated)

This page was archived on 21 Mar 2015 with reason: A new version has been published

SOER Common environmental theme from Hungary

Topic: Air pollution

Published: 26 Nov 2010 Modified: 11 May 2020

Air quality legislation has been revised extensively and is now consistent with international commitments and EU requirements. Environmental legislation prescribes strict limit values (air quality and emission) and other requirements - e.g. the use of Best Available Technologies for all sources of air pollution (not only for IPPC installations). Another step was the introduction of the 'environmental load charge' for emissions of the main air pollutants from stationary sources.

The current, Second National Development Plan (2007-13) includes an operational programme, the objective of which is to facilitate environmentally friendly energy management by increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. At the same time, the plan also supports the development of environmentally sound transport modalities.

Investment in end-of-pipe equipment and improvement in fuel quality have contributed to significant reductions in emissions from energy generation. The share of renewables within the total primary energy supply has increased markedly following the introduction of a feed-in tariff in 2001, and the target for electricity generation from renewables has been met well ahead of the 2010 deadline. Some large power plants shifted from coal to more environmentally friendly fuels, thus cutting SO₂ and CO₂ emissions. The new energy policy document envisages a significant change in the energy mix: the share of renewables in the total primary energy supply (TPES) is projected to be 7-7.2 % by 2013 and 14-16 % by 2020. A National Energy Efficiency Action Plan was recently approved.

Concerning transport, increases in fuel prices, vehicle taxes and road tolls have helped in moderating the increase in volume caused by the growing demand for road transport. Public transport is well developed and still prevails in the modal split for urban travel. Improvements in fuel quality and vehicle performance have helped to increase the energy efficiency of transport and to reduce related (per unit, relative) air emissions.

One of the priorities of the National Environmental Programme is the improvement of environment quality and of the quality of life in settlements. The protection of air quality is a subset of the goals set out by the programme, which involve significant changes to the legal framework, especially economic legislation, as well as strengthening environmental awareness (the cleanest energy is unused energy (energy that can be saved), promoting the most efficient and environmentally sound forms of transport (walking, bicycle use), and the development of corresponding infrastructure.

Sulphur dioxide emission trend in Hungary [kt/year]

Sector	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007

Households	290.6	303.5	221.6	91.1	34.34	41.44	45.93	51.8	45.6	52.82	54.33	25 460
Services	44.9	36.7	29	15.4	8.73	7.8	6.08	6.42	5.91	0.96	0.86	0.700
Transportation	49	21.1	16	7.5	1.59	1.59	1.61	1.55	1.54	1.96	2.04	1 150
Public power plants	654.7	504	423	435.7	382.48	288.1	246.6	226.21	125.82	20.49	9.58	9 960
Other heating	33,3	21.9	12.4	10.5	0.78	0.6	0.88	0.87	0.31	0.22	0.24	0.220
Industry - heating	522.2	487.3	268	122.6	46.76	47.86	48.62	43.99	56.43	40.37	39.36	34 450
Industry - technology			18	8	7	7	10.47	11	9.16	9.93	9.42	10 220
Agriculture	38.1	29.1	22	14.1	4.47	5.39	5.17	5.11	2.55	2.53	2.41	2 250
Total	1632.8	1403.6	1010	704.9	486.15	399.78	365.36	346.95	247.32	129.28	118.24	84 410

Nitrogen oxides emission trend in Hungary [kt/year]

Sector	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007

Households	18.2	21.5	19.5	13.5	9.24	9.97	10.36	12.06	11.46	12.52	12.48	8 920
Services	7,1	7,7	7	4,7	6,38	6,69	6,78	6,94	8,78	8,18	8	6,460
Transportation	111,3	110,5	116	101,4	109,85	112,94	115,65	114,2	111,84	135,26	142,7	123,310
Public power plants	69	61,6	45	40,9	35,4	31,38	30,39	30,7	27,51	24,26	21,33	23,970
Other heating	4,1	3,8	3	3,4	3,13	2,79	1,99	2,38	2,19	3,68	4,07	3,990
Industry - heating	53,3	48,8	19,5	13,8	10,84	10,84	10,86	10,86	10,64	11,59	11,69	11,550
Industry - technology			21	9	7,5	7,5	6,31	6,5	5,42	5,5	5,57	9,400
Agriculture	9,9	8,6	7	3,3	3,11	3,36	3,2	2,54	2,85	2,66	2,51	2,270
Total	272,9	262,5	238	190	185,45	185,47	185,54	186,18	180,69	203,65	208,35	189,870

Particulate matter emission trend in Hungary [kt/year]

Sector	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007

Households	75,8	94,3	75	44,2	26,94	26,91	29,35	36,39	34,38	46,38	39,89	18,150
Services	12,2	13,9	10,5	6,1	3,75	3,31	3,8	4,06	3,72	0,1	0,12	0,100
Transportation	19,4	10,8	6	17,5	20,02	20,62	21,18	21,29	21,41	24,81	26,02	26,020
Public power plants	220	129	33	19,7	17,04	12,83	11,35	11,17	8,22	1,07	0,52	0,880
Other heating	3,2	2,2	1,5	1,2	0,02	0,02	0,08	0,08	0,04	0	0	0,000
Industry - heating	239,1	232,9	19,5	11,6	11,76	8,92	8,5	7,51	9,76	11,42	10,64	9,710
Industry - technology			51	47	45	45	40	40	9,72	2,36	2,36	2,490
Agriculture	6,9	8,5	8,5	7,2	3,97	4,3	4,33	4,16	3,42	3,45	3,37	3,130
Total	576,6	491,6	205	154,5	128,5	121,91	118,59	124,66	90,67	89,59	82,92	60,48

Carbon monoxide emission trend in Hungary [kt/year]

Sector	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007

Households	150,06	178,73	134,34	53,7	24,35	30,2	32,6	35,7	31,39	33,28	32,34	20,81
Services	2,45	2,83	1,79	1,8	2,26	2,32	2,27	2,34	2,88	2,55	2,74	2,31
Transportation	546	514,6	568,04	448,9	435,92	423,7	413,85	406,8	397,584	420	423,16	422,62
Public power plants	35,74	30,68	19,41	18,3	13,3	12,29	12,77	13,73	13,26	12,67	7,65	8,51
Other heating	1,35	1,25	1,09	1,1	0,97	0,86	0,61	0,74	0,69	3,04	3,4	3,49
Industry - heating			10,9	6,5	5,42	5,25	5,16	5,12	5,18	5,75	6,19	6,07
Industry - technology	281,44	201,04	260	230	150	100	95	100	90	109,23	92,91	42,85
Agriculture	1,96	1,97	1,41	1	0,82	0,9	0,88	0,74	0,76	0,73	0,68	0,60
Total	1019	931,1	996,98	761,3	633,04	575,52	563,14	565,17	541,744	587,25	569,07	507,26

NMVOC emission trend in Hungary [kt/year]

Sector	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007

Households					19,97	19,29	20,91	26,39	25,27	34,45	32,48	14,93
Services					1,2	1,11	1,66	1,77	1,737	0,41	0,355	0,55
Transportation					60,93	59,4	58,79	56,92	58,2	58,58	59,911	58,06
Public power plants					0,82	0,84	0,76	0,81	1,24	1,76	1,598	2,1
Other heating					0,1	0,01	0,07	0,008	0,075	1,84	2,839	2,17
Industry - heating					8,9	7,51	7,45	6,95	8,83	9,74	9,158	9,33
Technology and others					98,743	68,02	64,676	59,98	60,21	68,721	68,76	59,61
Agriculture					1,99	2,09	2,15	2,085	1,91	1,96	1,51	1,4
Total	260,593	268,13	205,00	150,30	172,683	158,27	156,466	154,916	157,4735	177,4606	176,611	148,150