Ireland holds the worst record in EU for air pollutant emissions

Posted by Bronwen Maher on September 29, 2010 at 02:05 PM

Emissions ceiling to be exceeded by almost 50% in 2010

 
Ireland will suffer the indignity of coming in last place in a major EU environmental league table, exceeding Europe’s binding nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions levels by a massive 47% according to a new report by the European Environment Agency. The State will now face penalties as a result of this breech.
 
Ireland’s ranking has slipped from 14th out of the 19 Member States in 1990 to last place of all the countries in the EU to report data for this year. Ireland will now face penalties as a result of the State’s breech of the emissions ceiling.
 
Nessa Childers MEP who is a member of the European Parliaments Environment Committee speaking in response to the report said, “Energy use and supply accounts for 53% of the NOx emissions with road transport making up the bulk of the remainder, at 42%.
 
“This report is a damning indictment of Ireland’s environmental performance and our continued reliance on the car in the absence of a decent, integrated and genuinely national public transport infrastructure.
 
“By shifting he emphasis to renewable energy and public transport, Ireland’s performance can improve dramatically. Our neighbours in the UK expect to exceed their ceiling laid out under the National Emissions Ceilings Directive by a tiny 5% whilst Ireland will smash through by a margin almost 50% higher than that agreed. Serious questions must be asked of the government’s ability to deliver on its commitments in thje area of air pollution.”

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