New and stricter air pollution emission standards for non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), such as tractors and locomotives, are unlikely to enter force before 2016, the European Commission said on 1 August in a written response to a parliament question. The forthcoming revision of the 1997 directive, which was due in 2007, will bring small stationary engines under NRMM legislation and set new emission limits for diesel engines. A proposal is expected to be presented in 2012.
Source: ENDS Europe Daily, 3 August 2011
If all the 20 planned coal-fired power plant projects in Germany are realised, they would together emit more than 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from 2050 onwards. This would make it impossible to achieve the climate targets of the German government.
Significant additional emission reductions and accompanying environmental improvements can be achieved in Europe by 2020. Health benefits alone far outweigh the extra costs for emission control.
A proposal for a revision of the EU Energy Tax Directive, launched in April by the European Commission, has triggered strong reactions from some of the EU member states, including giants like the UK and Germany.
The European Commission do not believe that their own proposal for a new Energy Efficiency Directive will be enough to meet the 20 per cent energy savings target by 2020.
The fate of the vast boreal forest belt of the northern hemisphere is crucial for global climate. A new AirClim-report looks into our possibilities to protect and manage these forests for climate mitigation. Reducing paper consumption turns out to be an option.