Clean Air for Europe Comments from HEAL

Transcription

1 The Future of EU Air Policy Clean Air for Europe Comments from HEAL 17 March 2014 Hearing European Economic and Social Committee Anne Stauffer Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL)

2 About HEAL The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is a leading European not-for-profit organisation addressing how the environment affects health in the European Union. We demonstrate how policy changes can help protect health and enhance people s quality of life. HEAL brings independent expertise and evidence from the health community to different decisionmaking processes.

3 HEAL s Network Over 65 members in 30 different countries Doctors Nurses Patient groups Scientists Environmental groups Women s groups Youth groups Public Health Research Institutes Public Health Insurers Creating synergies & advocating for better policies at EU and international levels

4 Air quality in cities Air quality in Paris has been one of the worst on record March 2014 EEA: around 90% of city dwellers in the EU are exposed to one of the most damaging air pollutants at levels deemed harmful to health by the World Health Organization

5 Air pollution and health

6 Air pollution and health - ESCAPE European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects investigated the long-term effects of air pollution on a broad range of chronic conditions asthma, allergies in children; adult respiratory and cardiovascular disease; cancer and life expectancy. Funded by the EU, the project brought together over 20 leading research groups on air pollution and health from 15 countries to analyse over 30 cohort studies including some 900,000 subjects. Cohort studies follow a population over time and ESCAPE focused on how different levels of exposure to air pollution affected people s health. IARC: outdoor air pollution is leading environmental cause of cancer

7 Air pollution and health - REVIHAAP World Health Organization Review of Evidence on health aspects of air pollution New and more evidence of harm to health in adults and children: Effects at lower concentration levels Linked to not only heart and respiratory disease but also health outcomes such as diabetes, and effects on children Wake up call for decision-makers!

8 Air pollution and health - costs In 2010 alone, more than 400,000 people in the EU died prematurely from air pollution Air pollution kills 10 times more people than road traffic accidents Huge costs: Ranging between 330 to 940 billion EUR annually This amount includes significant economic costs: 15 billion lost working days, 4 billion EUR healthcare costs, 3 billion EUR crop yield loss, 1 billion EUR damage to buildings

9 Air pollution and health - costs Air pollution might make you bad at your job Pear packer factory in California For every 10 microgram per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 levels, decreased worker productivity by 0.6%, or 41 cents per hour Authors estimate that across entire U.S. manufacturing sector, reductions in PM2.5 since 1997 has lead to aggregate labor savings of 19.5 billion US-Dollars ( about 13 billion EUR)

10 Benefits of air quality measures

11 Air pollution and health Health effects of living close to busy roads for 10 APHEKOM cities Living near to busy roads could be responsible for: 15-30% of all new asthma cases in children 15-30% of asthma attacks in children similar or larger percentages for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and coronary heart diseases in adults over 65 years Economic burden of 310 million EUR every year (c) nontoxickids.net

12 Benefits of interventions Cities have taken action Dublin coal ban: decrease in cardiovascular, respiratory mortality Krakow, Poland: ban of solid combustion fuels European City Ranking: Best practices for clean air:

13 What needs to be done? Commitment from decision-makers for greater cuts in emissions National Emissions Ceilings Directive: Worrying lack of ambition for 2020 targets No legally binding targets for 2025, 2030 targets far from sufficient to achieve EU s air quality objectives Inclusion of methane reductions in 2020, inclusion of mercury emission cuts Medium scale combustion: New standards asap, include technical solutions already available

14 Air pollution in cities Citizens have a right to clean air! Air quality in cities is matter of health protection and quality of life More ambitious cuts in emissions are necessary to help cities reach and/or keep EU air quality limit values But we also need tightening and further enforcement of limit values: EU PM2.5 target/limit value is 2.5 times higher than WHO recommendation USA has new standard in place almost at WHO level

15 Thank you for your attention! Health & Environment Alliance 28 Boulevard Charlemagne B-1000 Brussels Belgium Tel: Web: anne@env-health.org