Low in ambition, late in timing The NRMM proposal presented by the EU Commission shows a lack of ambition in both levels and timing. Read more
Editorial: Ammonia emissions are cheap to reduce A little more than a century ago Fritz Haber invented a way to make synthetic ammonia out of pure air. The process was soon scaled up for industrial use by Carl Bosch. The method known as the Haber-Bosch process revolutionised agriculture. Read more
Air pollution cuts India’s crop yields by almost half Ground-level ozone is damaging plants’ leaves and black carbon is reducing the amount of sunlight they receive. Both pollutants are also damaging human health. Read more
UN warns against exceeding “Emissions Budget” The gap between what countires have pledged to achieve and what the IPCC has estimated is needed in order to stay within the 2°C target is estimated at 10 GT of CO2e by 2020. Read more
Wind energy – so much potential We are on track to phase-out and replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. After years of slow growth the wind is now shifting and investment is growing. Read more
Methane and black carbon cuts won’t buy us time Two new scientific studies say that the effectiveness of cutting a range of non-CO2 gases such as methane and black carbon to limit global warming to 2°C has been strongly and consistently overestimated. Read more
Many loopholes in testing system European carmakers manipulate emissions testing, so cars on average show 38 per cent lower emissions than under actual driving conditions. Read more
IPCC warns that delaying action implies higher costs Two-thirds of the carbon budget needed to keep global temperature rise below 2°C has already been spent. To replace fossil fuels we will need to triple our use of zero- and low-carbon energy by 2025. Read more
China: 670,000 smog-related deaths a year Around 157 million people in China lived in areas where the annual PM2.5 concentration in 2012 was higher than 100 μg/m3 – ten times the safety limit set by WHO. Read more
Ocean acidification record-high The rate of ocean acidification is the highest in millions of years. A CBD synthesis and new research show a grim picture in which organisms on the sea floor are particularly at risk. Read more
Biogas from manure Making biogas from manure results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and the production of a renewable fuel. The technology is far from its full potential in Europe, but also has some serious limitations. Read more
Air quality targets much cheaper than expected The EU’s new climate and energy policy for 2030 opens the way for more ambitious clean air targets. The air pollution limits for 2030 proposed by the Commission last December could be achieved at €5.5bn less cost per year when the climate and energy package for 2030 .. Read more
Action needed to cut emissions from domestic solid-fuel burning Air pollutant emissions from residential heating with solid fuels (wood and coal) are estimated to cause 61,000 annual premature deaths in Europe. Read more
Leave fossil gas in the ground Gas is better than coal, but not good enough. Much of it has to be left in the ground, so its use has to be cut fast. This is actually happening in Europe. Gas use fell by 13 per cent between 2010 and 2013. Read more
PM pollution requires EU-wide action Particle pollution is not a purely local problem. Transboundary pollution transport is a major contributor to urban PM2.5 levels, and reductions in both primary PM and secondary precursor emissions are needed to bring down PM2.5 to safe levels. Read more
447,000 premature deaths/year in EU due to bad air quality Elevated levels of air pollutants, primarily fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone, are the top environmental cause of premature death in Europe. Read more
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