tailieunhanh - International experiences in air pollution control

As recently as the late 1970’s air emissions in Europe and the USA were terribly high. For instance, in 1978 sulfur dioxide (SO2)-emissions in Europe stood at 70 million tons (Figure 1), almost three times higher than current Chinese emissions. Not only were emissions terribly high, but any impartial observer of the future seen from the perspective of 1978, basing his views on recent trends in European SO2-emissions from 1945-1978, would have had to admit that realistically, emissions would continue to grow. Only the bravest would have suggested that come 25 years later emissions of SO2 in Europe would stand. | International experiences in air pollution control Short Version Haakon Vennemo Econ Poyry 5 0051 OSLO Norway. Phone 4791136716 fax 47 22 42 00 40 http e-mail . ECON Analysis International experiences in air pollution control - Short version Introduction As recently as the late 1970 s air emissions in Europe and the USA were terribly high. For instance in 1978 sulfur dioxide SO2 -emissions in Europe stood at 70 million tons Figure 1 almost three times higher than current Chinese emissions. Not only were emissions terribly high but any impartial observer of the future seen from the perspective of 1978 basing his views on recent trends in European SO2-emissions from 1945-1978 would have had to admit that realistically emissions would continue to grow. Only the bravest would have suggested that come 25 years later emissions of SO2 in Europe would stand at 15 million tons similar to the level of 1930. Figure 1 SO2 emissions in Europe unit Tg SO2 Source Vestreng et al. 2007 Yet this is what happened. In Europe a mountain of SO2 has disappeared since 1978. The story is the same although less dramatic in the . Emissions of SO2 in the . have fallen by about 50 since 1990. In fact the dramatic fall in emissions of SO2 in Europe and the . is a main inspiration of the now famous Environmental Kuznets Curve depicting that emissions first rise and then fall as gdp capita grows . Grossman and Krueger 1995 . Emissions of most other polluting compounds to air with the notable exception of CO2 have also fallen in Europe and the . Meanwhile emissions of SO2 and many other compounds to air are increasing fast in China. Thanks to the double Haakon Vennemo exec AK 22 48 1 ECON Analysis International experiences in air pollution control - Short version impact of lower emissions in Europe and the . and higher emissions in China Chinese SO2-emissions are now higher than in Europe and the . combined see Figure 2. .