Air pollution and integrated pollution control 9

United Kingdom

IPPC

2.1 The UK Government has failed to meet the full requirements of the European Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (96/61/EC) by missing the implementation date of 31 October 1999. Although the Pollution Prevention and Control Act was implemented by the due date, this was an enabling Act requiring implementing Regulations. The DETR had hoped to implement the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations by February 2000, however now expects the Regulations to be laid before Parliament in the Spring, therefore it is not likely they will come into force until the Summer. It is also likely that the Regulations will contain a 3-month period of grace before operators need to apply for permits thereby making the UK's implementation date a full year behind schedule. It is, however, thought to be unlikely that punitive action from the European Commission will be taken. The further delay is to allow for a fifth consultation exercise where the DETR will seek further views on the draft Regulations' list of industrial activities subject to IPPC. This fifth consultation paper comes despite promises from the Government that the fourth paper issued in August 1999 would be the final one. (DETR, December 1999)

Air Quality

2.2 Under the Environment Act 1995 and as part of the requirements of the National Air Quality Strategy, local authorities were required to complete air quality reviews and assessments by December 1999. The DETR, however, has conceded to pressure and allowed local authorities an extension until June 2000 to complete these reviews and assessments. Under the Strategy, where air quality is predicted to breach standards in 2005, authorities must declare "Air Quality Management Areas" by September 2000, on which authorities must consult on air quality action plans within nine to twelve months of the declaration of the area. Councils must complete a second round of air quality reviews and assessments by December 2003, two years earlier than previously timetabled. All of these changes are contained within the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 which have been issued in draft form for consultation. (DETR, November 1999)

Emissions Trading

2.3 The UK Emissions Trading Group, established on 30 June 1999 and organised by the Confederation of British Industry and the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment, has launched an initiative involving over 30 UK companies which is proposing the establishment of a UK Emissions Trading Scheme open to all UK companies. The Emissions Trading Group is hoping that, with Government support, the scheme can be up and running from April 2001 and will enhance UK expertise in the field, easing future participation in any international schemes. Emissions trading will allow companies which cannot meet their emissions reductions target under a Government-agreed general cap to trade the right to pollute more from firms which have produced less than their quota. An Emissions Trading Authority would grant tradeable permits which could either be traded or banked for future use. (DETR News Release, 27 October 1999)

Climate Change

2.4 The Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment (ACBE) has published a report "Carbon Trusts - Exploiting the Potential of Low Carbon Technology" as a follow-on to its last study on climate change. The report claims that up to 50 million tonnes of carbon, or around 25% of all UK emissions into the atmosphere, could be saved by 2010 through the development and use of low-carbon technology. The report sets out critical measures for government and business to reduce carbon emissions through technology and illustrates how a trust-funded Low Carbon Technology Centre might prove beneficial. Such a Centre would promise climate change technology research for the business community and would co-ordinate existing national and international climate change technology effort. Fiscal and public expenditure support from market development including tax credits for selective investment in new technology is also recommended in the report, as is a stronger business focus on energy efficiency and carbon saving. (DETR News Release, 26 October 1999)

2.5 Prior to the Fifth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting held in Bonn at the end of October, the DETR published the UK's progress towards its climate change targets. The UK's greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing, it is revealed, forecast to be 10% lower in 2010 than they were in 1990. This falls short of the UK's commitment to a 12.5% reduction in greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol and the Government has, therefore, announced in the report, "Tackling Climate Change in the UK" that a new climate change strategy for the UK will be announced, following consultation in the summer. The new strategy will cover emissions trading schemes, integrated transport policies, road user charging, waste strategies to reduce methane emissions and will ensure that all sectors and parts of the UK are involved. (DETR, October 1999)

European Union

Air Quality

2.6 The European Council has, by qualified majority, reached agreement on its Common Position of the second Daughter Directive proposed under the Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management Framework Directive (96/62/EC), proposed in December 1998 relating to limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air (COM(98)591). Agreement was reached at an Environment Council meeting held on 13/14 December 1999. If adopted, the Directive will establish limit values for concentrations of benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air to reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment. (Environment Council News Release, 13 December 1999)

2.6 The third Daughter Directive proposed under the Air Quality Framework Directive (96/62/EC), proposed in June 1999 relating to ozone in ambient air (COM(99)125) is still being negotiated, the main issues debated including the need to adopt interim objectives for ground-level ozone and the need to introduce additional Community legislation to reduce emissions of pollutants. The proposal aims to reduce health-related ozone exposure by 35% and vegetation-related ozone exposure by 20%. Some Southern European countries are citing difficulties in complying with the interim objective set out in the proposal due to their particular climatic conditions. At a recent Environment Council meeting, the President confirmed the Council's wishes that an early agreement on the proposal is reached. (Environment Council News Release, 12 October 1999)

Large combustion plants

2.7 At a recent Environment Council meeting held in Brussels early in December, the Council was not able to reach political agreement on a Common Position regarding the proposed amendment to Directive 88/609/EEC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants. The European Parliament has requested more stringent limit values on the emissions of certain pollutants from large combustion plants, further to a report by the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy published in June 1999. (European Commission, December 1999)

Vehicle Emissions - Diesel

2.8 The European Parliament has voted to ignore tools for tightening the emissions targets for a draft Directive on emission limits for heavy duty diesel vehicles. The Parliament's Environment Committee had approved an amendment to bring forward the proposed target for nitrogen oxide emissions of 2.0g/km by 2008 to 2006. In the event, the Parliament decided that the tighter proposals would only lead to further delay and therefore decided to accept the 2008 deadline. The text now only awaits formal adoption by the Council, upon which the Directive will apply to new vehicles from 1 October 2000, with a second phase of tougher limits proposed for 1 October 2005, although limits for this later date have yet to be agreed. (European Commission, November 1999)

International

Climate Change

2.9 The Fifth Conference of the Parties (CoP-5) to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Climate Change Convention was held in Bonn at the end of October. The main progress achieved at the Conference was to agree on a timetable for completing the outstanding details of the Kyoto Protocol for the Sixth Conference (CoP-6) to be held in November 2000. The oil producing countries continued to oppose the conditions of the Protocol with the Association of Small Island States continuing to push for even stricter targets. The UK is calling on all nations to commit themselves to ratifying the Protocol by 2002. It must be ratified by at least 55 countries, including those responsible for at least 55% of emissions, in order to enter into force. (Lycos Environment News Service, 9 November 1999, The Financial Times, 3 November 1999)

Transboundary Pollution

2.9 A new international Protocol has been signed by Environment Ministers representing member countries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). This is the Eighth Protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution to combat acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone. Each party to the Protocol will sign up to national emission ceilings for 2010 for four atmospheric pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia. (DETR News Release, 1 December 1999)