Description:

Stefan Reis, *Costs of Air Pollution Control: Analyses of Emission Control Options for Ozone Abatement Strategies*. With 94 figures. Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York, 2005. Abstract: This book describes the development and application of methods for identifying cost-effective strategies to abate ozone precursor substances (mainly nitrogen oxides, NOx, and non-methane volatile organic compounds, NMVOC) in Europe. A trend scenario for NOx and NMVOC emissions is established, accounting for technological change and changes in activity rates in relevant emission source sectors. The impacts of EU policies and legislation on road transport and large combustion plants are also considered. Such a scenario is crucial for assessing emission control options beyond business-as-usual development and their effects on ambient ozone levels. A model system was developed to conduct an in-depth cost-effectiveness assessment of implemented measures, identifying emission targets to achieve compliance with EU thresholds, such as those set by the EC Daughter Directive on Ozone or established by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In addition, abatement costs for selected strategies are compared with avoided damage costs due to reduced ambient ozone concentrations, conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit assessment. Evaluation of different control scenarios reveals that significant exceedances of air quality limit values for ground-level ozone will occur in Europe even if full compliance with the EC National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) is achieved by 2010. The threshold set for protecting agricultural crops, AOT40, cannot be met even by stringent emission control options. Model calculations suggest that an emissions reduction of approximately 50% in the mid-term and about 80% on a long-run basis below trend scenario values are needed to achieve compliance with ozone target values. The potential contributions of emission control activities in Central and Eastern Europe during the accession process, exemplified by Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, are evaluated. In summary, this work provides recommendations for designing European air pollution control policies, particularly on ground-level ozone. Cost-benefit analysis suggests moving towards holistic, integrated evaluations of air pollution control strategies to fully account for synergy effects without overestimating costs versus benefits. Ozone thresholds and mid- and long-term approaches in the Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) strategy should be reviewed. Preface: Recent years have seen Germany and other European countries experience frequent exceedances of ground-level ozone limit values, despite reductions in precursor emissions due to environmental legislation. As air quality limits become stricter, it is crucial to determine the extent of emission control measures needed to meet short- and long-term targets for ozone and other air quality issues. Emission control involves significant costs, necessitating cost-effective approaches to achieve targets while accounting for benefits from reduced pollution levels in a cost-benefit assessment. This research aims to improve methodologies and applications of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses of air pollution control options, addressing key aspects of state-of-the-art research focusing on tropospheric ozone. Acknowledgement: This work would not have been possible without the contributions, inspirations, and comments from several colleagues. Special thanks go to my supervisors, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Friedrich and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günter Baumbach, as well as my coworkers at the Institute of Energy Economics and the Rational Use of Energy at the University of Stuttgart. Contents: 1 Introduction: Scope, Aims, Structure. 2 Air Pollution in Europe: Introduction. Ключевые слова: e, r, o