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EU back new national caps on pollutants

Xinhua, November 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday decided to adopt plans for more ambitious national caps on emissions of key pollutants by 2030, including NOx, particulates and sulphur dioxide.

These plans won the support of members of European Parliament (MEPs). The new legislation sets out national emission reduction commitments for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH3), and fine particulates (less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter).

Air pollution causes about 400,000 premature deaths in the EU per year. The proposed pollution cuts would reduce health impacts of air pollution by around 50 percent by 2030.

According to the European Environment Agency, these pollutants come from various sources. For example, particulate matter is emitted mainly by heating, industry and transport while NOx is emitted mainly by the transport sector. Endit