Indicator Assessment
Emissions of air pollutants from transport
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- Between 1990 and 2013, the transport sector achieved some significant reductions in the emissions of major air pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) (both around 83 %), nitrogen oxides (NOx) (35%), sulphur oxide (SOx) (36%) and particulate matter (35 % in the case of PM2.5 and 27 % for PM10).
- Emissions of all pollutants decreased in 2013 compared with the previous year. NOx emissions decreased by 5 %, SOx by 12 %, and PM10 and PM2.5 by 9 % and 10 % respectively. The latest data shows that non-exhaust emissions of primary PM10 and PM2.5 make up 27 % and 16 % of total transport emissions of these pollutants, respectively.
- All transport modes have experienced a decrease in emissions since 1990, except for international aviation and shipping for which emissions of each pollutant have increased. Also, ammonia (NH3) emissions from road transport have increased following the introduction of three-way catalytic converters on road vehicles, from which NH3 is released as a byproduct.
Significant progress has been made since 1990 in reducing the emissions of many air pollutants from the transport sector.
The relative changes in emissions of pollutants from the transport sectors are shown in the above figures. Emissions from all transport sectors have declined since 1990 despite the general increase in activity within the sector since this time. Between 1990 and 2013, emissions of NOx from transport reduced by 35 %, PM2.5 by 35 %, SOx by 36 %, CO by 82 % and NMVOCs by 83 % across the EEA-33.
The scale of policy actions undertaken in Europe to specifically address transport-related air pollution have increased over recent years. Local and regional air quality management plans, including initiatives such as low-emission zones in cities or congestion charges, are now undertaken in areas of high air pollution from transport. The different European legal mechanisms for addressing air quality related to traffic comprise the setting of limit or target values for ambient concentrations of pollutants; limits on total emissions (e.g. national totals); and regulating emissions from the traffic sector either by setting emissions standards (like EURO 1-6) or by setting requirements for fuel quality.
Reductions achieved in the road transport sector are responsible for the vast majority of the overall reductions for each pollutant, as shown in the figures above. In contrast, since 1990, international aviation and shipping (SOx excepted for the latter) are the only transport sub-sectors where emissions of each pollutant have actually increased, while NH3 emissions from road transport have also increased. For example, NOx emissions from international aviation have more than doubled (+116 %) since 1990, while NOx and NMVOC emissions from international shipping have both increased by around 20 % and 24 %, respectively, and PM2.5 by 7 %. As emissions of pollutants such as NOx and SOx from land-based sources decrease, there is a growing awareness of the increasingly important contribution made to Europe's air quality by the national and international shipping sectors, which now are responsible for 19 % and 26 % of NOx and SOx emissions, respectively.
Transport is responsible for more than half of all NOx emissions, and contributes significantly (around 15 % or more) to the total emissions of the other pollutants. Road transport, in particular, makes a significant contribution to emissions of all the main air pollutants (with the exception of SOx). While emissions from road transport are mostly exhaust emissions arising from fuel combustion, non-exhaust releases contribute to both NMVOCs (from fuel evaporation) and primary PM (from tyre- and brake-wear, and road abrasion). While emissions of primary PM2.5 from road transport have declined since 1990 (by 50 %), the relative importance of non-exhaust emissions has increased, since the introduction of vehicle particulate abatement technologies has reduced exhaust emissions. In 2013, the non-exhaust emissions of PM2.5 constituted 33 % of the emissions from the road transport sector, compared to just 11 % in 1990 (for PM10 the contribution increased from 20 % in 1990 to 49 % in 2013).
Indicator definition
This indicator is based on the assessment of emissions trends of CO, NOx, NMVOCs, SOx 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 PM2.5), 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, NOx, 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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 PM2.5, 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.
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
Data sources
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National emissions reported to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention)
provided by European Environment Agency (EEA)
Other info
Typology: Descriptive indicator (Type A - What is happening to the environment and to humans?)
- TERM 003
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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/transport-emissions-of-air-pollutants-8/transport-emissions-of-air-pollutants-3 or scan the QR code.
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