Lithuania starts moving to curb air pollution

VILNIUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania starts preparing a national plan to curb air pollution, announced the country's Ministry of Environment on Friday.

The plan is to be drawn up according to the goals set by the EU to each member state to cut emissions until 2020 and 2030.

The Lithuanian Environment Ministry says meeting the emission ceilings set for Lithuania is "not an easy task".

"By 2020, our country will have to cut sulphur dioxide emissions by 55 percent, nitrogen oxides by 48 percent, non-methane organic compound by 32 percent, primary particulate matter by 20 percent and ammonia emissions by 10 percent," said the ministry in a statement.

As of 2020 until 2030, Lithuanian will have to cut sulphur dioxide emissions additionally by 5 percent, nitrogen oxides by 3 percent, non-methane organic compound by 15 percent and primary particulate matter by additional 16 percent.

Lower emissions in all EU countries should result in 50 percent decrease in negative effects of air pollution to human health across the EU, says the Lithuanian ministry.

It expects to have the plan to curb air pollution prepared and approved by the end of 2018.

According to European Environment Agancy (EEA) data, Lithuania ranks 17 among EU countries in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) intensity of the economy. The Baltic country has the eighth lowest GHG emissions per capita ratio among the EU countries, according to the EEA. Enditem