27-28 February 2013, JRC Ispra (IT)

Quantifying the contribution of emission sources to atmospheric pollution is a key element for the development of any effective air quality management policy. Indeed, source apportionment (SA) is required for the implementation of the Directives on Air Quality (Directives 2008/50/EC and 2004/107/EC).
In order to fill a gap in the knowledge about the assessment of SA models’ performances, the JRC launched in 2010 an initiative for the evaluation and harmonization of SA techniques, initially focused on receptor models (RM).
The initiative, involving European experts and scientists from USA and South America, consists of three main activities:
- to accomplish a review on the use of RM in Europe,
- to organize European-wide intercomparsion exercises for RM, and
- to develope a European common technical protocol for RM.

The outcome of this and other initiatives will be presented and discussed in the third Workshop on “Source Apportionment of Atmospheric Pollutants”, co-organised by the JRC and ACCENT PLUS, that will take place at the JRC Ispra site on 27-28 February 2013. The workshop is aimed at European and international experts working on identification of atmospheric pollutant sources.
Keynote address on 'New tools for improved analyses with Positive Matrix Factorization' will be given by Professor Philip K. Hopke - Director of the Center for the Environment and Director of the Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University (NY) USA.
For more details see the attached draft agenda.

[ Draft Agenda ]

Sulphur dioxide emissions from shipping have sharply decreased in EU ports thanks to stricter EU rules for sulphur content in fuels used by ships at berth or at anchor in ports. Scientists at the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Commission's in-house science service, measured key air quality parameters in Mediterranean harbours before and after the entry into force of the low-sulphur requirements in January 2010. They found that in the EU harbours Civitavecchia, Savona, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, the concentration of sulphur dioxide had fallen by 66% on average. Sulphur dioxide is one of the main chemicals responsible for formation of acid rain and particulate air pollution, posing risks to human health and the environment. Measurements taken in the port of Tunis, where the EU rules do not apply, showed that levels of this noxious substance remained the same.
The JRC study published today in the scientific journal Atmospheric Environment confirms that the decreases in sulphur dioxide and consequently the improvement of the air quality in harbours are a direct consequence of the application of EU requirements.
The air quality measurements were carried out using an automated monitoring station on the cruise ship Costa Pacifica which followed a fixed weekly route in the Western Mediterranean during 2009 and 2010.

[ Read more ] - [ News release [EN] ]- [ News release [IT] ]

This fourth edition of "Research at JRC in Support of EU Climate Change Policy Making" describes JRC research activities and results that contributed to EC policy initiatives on climate change.

This booklet further presents a wide range of activities that need to be addressed in order to contribute to a sound science base for future policy action. The full series of the report contains information on the JRC's work in the field since 2003.

Download the reports from:
[ Durban, 2011 ] - [ Copenhagen, 2009 ] - [ Bali, 2007 ] - [ Montreal, 2005 ]

Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the main cause of global warming – increased by 3% last year. In China, the world’s most populous country, average emissions of CO2 increased by 9% to 7.2 tonnes per capita, bringing China within the range of 6 to 19 tonnes per capita emissions of the major industrialised countries. In the European Union, CO2 emissions dropped by 3% to 7.5 tonnes per capita. The United States remain one of the largest emitters of CO2, with 17.3 tonnes per capita, despite a decline due to the recession in 2008-2009, high oil prices and an increased share of natural gas. According to the annual report ‘Trends in global CO2 emissions’, released today by the JRC and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), the top emitters contributing to the global 34 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2011 are: China (29%), the United States (16%), the European Union (11%), India (6%), the Russian Federation (5%) and Japan (4%). With 3%, the 2011 increase in global CO2 emissions is above the past decade's average annual increase of 2.7%. An estimated cumulative global total of 420 billion tonnes of CO2 has been emitted between 2000 and 2011 due to human activities, including deforestation. Scientific literature suggests that limiting the rise in average global temperature to 2°C above pre-industrial levels – the target internationally adopted in UN climate negotiations – is possible only if cumulative CO2 emissions in the period 2000–2050 do not exceed 1 000 to 1 500 billion tonnes. If the current global trend of increasing CO2 emissions continues, cumulative emissions will surpass this limit within the next two decades

[ Trends in global CO2 emissions ] - [ Press release ]

...in assisting the CCU with their measurements of Air Pollution (ozone and black carbon) in the Mediterranean Basin.

read more... [ for scientists ] [ for public ]

To understand and quantify the carbon balance of a mediterranean forest ecosystem and its vulnerability to climate change, the JRC-IES has a test site in San Rossore (Pisa, Italia).

read more... [ for scientists ] [ for public ]

What is the actual impact of air pollution locally and on global scale? What can be expected from the implementation of emission ceilings and other measures that are gradually being implemented? How will policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions help to further improve the air quality? What is the optimal mix of measures to obtain the desired targets in terms of air quality and climate?

read more... [ for scientists ] [ for public ]

Air pollutants like aerosol particles play an important role in the Earth's climate, because the interfere with the radiative transfer through the atmosphere.

read more... [ for scientists ] [ for public ]

Related to implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, provides an overview on policies and bodies; a toolbox for estimating GHG and Carbon fluxes and stocks based on research, models and data.

[ read more ]

The EDGAR v4.0 provides insight in 36 years (1970-2005) global past and present day anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants by country and on spatial grid.

[ read more ]

The TM5 model is a 3D atmospheric chemistry-transport ZOOM model. It allows the definition of arbitrary zoom regions, which are 2-way nested into the global model. Thus simulations at relatively high spatial resolution (currently 1x1 degrees longitude-latitude) can be performed over selected regions, with boundary conditions always provided consistently from the global model.

read more... [ for scientists ] [ for public ]

Do we understand the present climate over Europe and can we predict its changes in the future? Which tools are available to investigate the complex relationships between natural systems and human activities? Are we able to predict the impacts of the changing climate on the environment (floods/droughts, agriculture, etc.)?

[ read more... ]

A large amount of nitrogen compounds are emitted into the atmosphere by humans, through the burning of fossil fuels and the use of fertilizers. Frank Dentener has co-authored a study published in Science Magazine.

[ read more... ]

title	summary	lang	link
	On the occasion of the COP 17, the JRC issued the fourth edition of ‘Research at JRC in Support of EU Climate Change Policy Making’ which describes JRC research activities and results that contributed to EC policy initiatives on climate change since 2009. This booklet further represents a wide range of activities that need to be addressed in order to contribute to a sound science base for future policy action.	EN	download
	The report describes the results of scenario studies evaluating the impacts on air quality and climate of air pollution and climate policies, through a coupling of the POLES energy model, the EDGAR database, and the atmospheric chemistry transport model TM5.	EN	download
	Atmospheric Monitoring and Inverse Modelling for Verification of National and EU Bottom-up GHG Inventories	EN	download
	Che mostra in un'unica prospettiva cosa sia il Clima, come la vita fondamentalmente dipenda da esso, come l'uomo lo stia cambiando, e quali siano le opzioni tecniche e politiche per mantenerlo favorevole ai futuri nove miliardi di uomini sul nostro pianeta	IT	download
	L´aria è ciò che noi respiriamo inconsciamente minuto dopo minuto, giorno dopo giorno. L´aria è un elemento necessario per la nostra vita. Comunque, possiamo cominciare la sua storia partendo lontano dalla nostra esperienza quotidiana nel sistema solare.	IT	download

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