Better Outdoor Air Quality in African Cities

elisa.dumitrescu@unep.org, http://www.unep.org

Urban Air Quality• Over 800,000 deaths/year from urban air pollution

• Global health cost billions US$

• Transport - up to 75% of urban air pollution

• Transboundary movement of PM, NOx, SOx

• Vehicle emissions in Europe decreased by 1/3 in past decade - despite growing number of vehicles – cleaner fuels and vehicles

• Climate Change: Road transport is responsible for 10% of all CO2 emissions globally

Thomas Harrison-Prentice

African Cities

• Urban Africa: Urbanization highest in the world - by 2030 most Africans will live in cities

• Growth in vehicle ownership

• Greenhouse Gas emissions very low, but growing: 2.2% of global emissions in 1970, 3.6% in 2000

‘Air pollution is a silent assassination of the weak.’Luc Gnacadja, Better BAQ SSA 2006

2006 Better Air Quality in sub-Saharan African Cities, ministers identified key areas for intervention to improve air quality in the region:

Transport (clean fuels and vehicles, public transport)Waste Management

Air Quality MonitoringIndustryIndoor

Thomas Harrison-Prentice

Transport - Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles

PCFV helps developing countries:

1) global elimination of leaded gasoline 2) phase down sulphur in diesel and gasoline fuels, concurrent with 3) adopt cleaner vehicle requirements and technology.

www.unep.org/pcfv

PCFV global target:

…reduce sulphur in vehicle fuels to 50 parts per million (ppm) or below worldwide, concurrent with clean vehicles and clean vehicle technologies, with roadmaps and timelines developed regionally and nationally.

Low sulphur for clean dieselization, emission reductions

Low Sulphur Fuels

Three steps:Sub-regional

intermediate level

500 ppm

50 ppm

• Cleaner fuels and vehicles reduce vehicle emissions immediately

• Reducing sulphur = lower fine and ultra-fine particles from all vehicles

• Sulphur levels of 500 ppm and below open the door to cleaner vehicles and technology

• BUT even greater reduction at very low sulphur levels (below 50 ppm)

• Advanced catalysts, particle filters, new generation emission control technology - including NOx emission controls

• 3-way catalysts: maximum efficiency at 50 ppm or less sulphur

• Engine technology more durable with low-sulphur fuel

Vehicle Efficiency

Durable, fuel efficient: 20-40% above gasoline, reduction in CO2, performance, and durability

New diesels may be competitive with hybrids, cleanest gasoline engines

500 ppm or less needed for maintenance of advanced engines

• High pressure injection systems - only approved for high quality/low sulphur diesel markets

• Global light-duty diesel vehicles to double in 10 years

• Dieselization with low air quality, climate impacts

• Technology in developing countries

• Need the right fuel for benefits

Waste Burning

Thomas Harrison-Prentice

Monitoring:Small-Scale Pilots in Accra and Dar es Salaam

Successful phase-out of lead

UNEP, USEPA, USAID Training, equipment – 2 years

PM 10, O3, Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Lead (Pb) and Manganese (Mn) in PM10

The main sources of pollution identified are vehicles, industries, open waste burning, roads (dusty roads) and natural phenomena (winds)

•Develop legal and regulatory frameworks to address better air quality (BAQ) in SSA cities;

•Mainstream BAQ management in poverty reduction and growth strategies;

•Address air quality issues jointly among countries as air pollution is trans-boundary;

•Lower sulphur levels in fuels;

•Transport demands will continue to increase in the region, thus the need for mass transport and better municipal and town planning, including greening of cities to address BAQ

Way ForwardWork at subregional level to lower sulphur levels, import restrictions on used vehicles

as agreed at BAQ 2006 – Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV)

Increase monitoring, emission inventories – replication of Accra and Dar es Salaam projects

Non-motorized transport (NMT) facilities (sidewalks, cycle ways) for reduced motorization impacts, low-income mobility – roads for all, esp. vulnerable users

City and transport planning - GEF support for BRT systems in Africa (Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg)

Link air quality, climate, development agendas - co-benefits at local and global levels

Thank you

www.unep.org/pcfv

elisa.dumitrescu@unep.org