Climate policies can help resolve energy security and air pollution challenges

This paper assesses three key energy sustainability objectives: energy security improvement, climate change mitigation, and the reduction of air pollution and its human health impacts. We explain how the common practice of narrowly focusing on singular issues ignores potentially enormous synergies, highlighting the need for a paradigm shift toward more holistic policy approaches. Our analysis of a large ensemble of alternate energy-climate futures, developed using MESSAGE, an integrated assessment model, shows that stringent climate change policy offers a strategic entry point along the path to energy sustainability in several dimensions. Concerted decarbonization efforts can lead to improved air quality, thereby reducing energy-related health impacts worldwide: upwards of 2–32 million fewer disability-adjusted life years in 2030, depending on the aggressiveness of the air pollution policies foreseen in the baseline. At the same time, low-carbon technologies and energy-efficiency improvements can help to further the energy security goals of individual countries and regions by promoting a more dependable, resilient, and diversified energy portfolio. The cost savings of these climate policy synergies are potentially enormous: $100–600 billion annually by 2030 in reduced pollution control and energy security expenditures (0.1–0.7 % of GDP). Novel aspects of this paper include an explicit quantification of the health-related co-benefits of present and future air pollution control policies; an analysis of how future constraints on regional trade could influence energy security; a detailed assessment of energy expenditures showing where financing needs to flow in order to achieve the multiple energy sustainability objectives; and a quantification of the relationships between different fulfillment levels for energy security and air pollution goals and the probability of reaching the 2 °C climate target.     

Future air pollution in the Shared Socio-economic Pathways

Emissions of air pollutants such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides and particulates have significant health impacts as well as effects on natural and anthropogenic ecosystems. These same emissions also can change atmospheric chemistry and the planetary energy balance, thereby impacting global and regional climate. Long-term scenarios for air pollutant emissions are needed as inputs to global climate and chemistry models, and for analysis linking air pollutant impacts across sectors. In this paper we present methodology and results for air pollutant emissions in Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios. We first present a set of three air pollution narratives that describe high, central, and low pollution control ambitions over the 21st century. These narratives are then translated into quantitative guidance for use in integrated assessment models. The resulting pollutant emission trajectories under the SSP scenarios cover a wider range than the scenarios used in previous international climate model comparisons. In the SSP3 and SSP4 scenarios, where economic, institutional and technological limitations slow air quality improvements, global pollutant emissions over the 21^st century can be comparable to current levels. Pollutant emissions in the SSP1 scenarios fall to low levels due to the assumption of technological advances and successful global action to control emissions.     

Interannual and Decadal Changes in Tropospheric Ozone in China and the Associated Chemistry–Climate Interactions: A Review

China has been experiencing widespread air pollution due to rapid industrialization and urbanization in recent decades.The two major concerns of ambient air quality in China are particulate matter(PM) and tropospheric ozone(O_3). With the implementation of air pollution prevention and control actions in the last five years, the PM pollution in China has been substantially reduced. In contrast, under the conditions of the urban air pollution complex, the elevated O_3 levels in city clusters of eastern China, especially in warm seasons, have drawn increasing attention. Emissions of air pollutants and their precursors not only contribute to regional air quality, but also alter climate. Climate change in turn can change chemical processes, long-range transport, and local meteorology that influence air pollution. Compared to PM, less is known about O_3 pollution and its climate effects over China. Here, we present a review of the main findings from the literature over the period 2011–18 with regard to the characteristics of O_3 concentrations in China and the mechanisms that drive its interannual to decadal variations, aiming to identify robust conclusions that may guide decision-making for emissions control and to highlight critical knowledge gaps. We also review regional and global modeling studies that have investigated the impacts of tropospheric O_3 on climate, as well as the projections of future tropospheric O_3 owing to climate and/or emission changes.     

PM2.5监测及评价研究进展

综合阐述了近年来国内外PM2.5的监测方法、观测站网建设发展,以及PM2.5对人体健康、大气环境及天气、气候等方面的影响研究,并对国内外PM2.5空气质量标准差异进行了比较分析,提出了加强PM2.5监测及影响评价的建议。     

PM2.5监测及评价研究进展

综合阐述了近年来国内外PM2.5的监测方法、观测站网建设发展,以及PM2.5对人体健康、大气环境及天气、气候等方面的影响研究,并对国内外PM2.5空气质量标准差异进行了比较分析,提出了加强PM2.5监测及影响评价的建议.     

冬季采暖优化对北京地区空气质量的影响

空气污染能够影响人体健康、交通运输、农业生产等,会对国家经济造成损失。多年来,北京一直是空气污染严重地区,而冬季燃煤采暖是一个重要的原因。2016～2017年,北京大力优化采暖的能源结构,旨在改善空气质量。本文通过分析5个位于北京不同区域的空气质量监测站的PM2.5、PM10、SO₂、NO₂和CO污染物浓度,对比了2018年和2015年的空气质量变化情况。结果显示:2018年5个站5种污染物浓度较2015均下降,平均下降幅度为37.3%,而5个站降幅最大的污染物浓度都是SO₂,平均降幅为59.2%。进一步分析表明,两年5种污染物浓度的差距主要来自冬季的取暖时期。2018年冬季5个站重空气污染（PM2.5浓度>150 μg/m3）天数较2015年平均下降率高达91.3%,比其他季节多了41.3%。相较于2015年,5个站平均的2018年冬季5种污染物浓度平均下降值是其他季节的4.8倍,平均下降的幅度是其他季节的2.3倍。逐小时数据分析显示,2018年较2015年冬季污染物浓度下降比较大的时刻主要来来自暖更多的时间段。结合气象条件分析表明,北京冬季采暖优化很大程度地提高了空气质量,这为有相似采暖方式的城市的空气污染治理提供借鉴和参考。     

Seasonal to interannual prediction of air pollution in China:Review and insight

复合型大气污染对中国环境,健康和经济存在巨大的不利影响.2013年以来的减排措施有效改善了空气质量.目前,我国已进入大气污染与气候变化协同治理的关键阶段.在季节-年际尺度上,对大气污染(霾,臭氧和沙尘暴)的准确预测可以为有关部门的减排措施提供有效的科技技撑.近年来,全球科学家在理解中国气候变化,大气污染变率及相关物理机...     

Linkages between climate change and sustainable development

Climate change does not yet feature prominently within the environmental or economic policy agendas of developing countries. Yet evidence shows that some of the most adverse effects of climate change will be in developing countries, where populations are most vulnerable and least likely to easily adapt to climate change, and that climate change will affect the potential for development in these countries. Some synergies already exist between climate change policies and the sustainable development agenda in developing countries, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, transport and sustainable land-use policies. Despite limited attention from policy-makers to date, climate change policies could have significant ancillary benefits for the local environment. The reverse is also true as local and national policies to address congestion, air quality, access to energy services and energy diversity may also limit GHG emissions. Nevertheless there could be significant trade-offs associated with deeper levels of mitigation in some countries, for example where developing countries are dependent on indigenous coal and may be required to switch to cleaner yet more expensive fuels to limit emissions. The distributional impacts of such policies are an important determinant of their feasibility and need to be considered up-front. It follows that future agreements on mitigation and adaptation under the convention will need to recognise the diverse situations of developing countries with respect to their level of economic development, their vulnerability to climate change and their ability to adapt or mitigate. Recognition of how climate change is likely to influence other development priorities may be a first step toward building cost-effective strategies and integrated, institutional capacity in developing countries to respond to climate change. Opportunities may also exist in developing countries to use regional economic organisations to assist in the design of integrated responses and to exploit synergies between climate change and other policies such as those designed to combat desertification and preserve biodiversity.     

Synergies in addressing air quality and climate change

Air quality is a serious concern for the protection of human health and our natural environment. The pollutants contributing the most to both local and transboundary air pollution problems are SO₂, NO_x, NH₃, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and fine particulate matter (PM), and mostly originate from the same sources as greenhouse gases. There are thus strong interactions between strategies designed to improve air quality and those addressing climate change. This article examines these interactions, and the benefits of combined strategies with greater attention to the overall environmental impacts, and finding the ‘win—win’ solutions. Illustrations are provided from the development of policy in Europe under the UN ECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, which is now inextricably linked with strategies to control greenhouse gases.     

Impacts of 21st century climate change on global air pollution-related premature mortality

Climate change modulates surface concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃), indirectly affecting premature mortality attributed to air pollution. We estimate the change in global premature mortality and years of life lost (YLL) associated with changes in surface O₃ and PM_2.5 over the 21st century as a result of climate change. We use a global coupled chemistry-climate model to simulate current and future climate and the effect of changing climate on air quality. Epidemiological concentration-response relationships are applied to estimate resulting changes in premature mortality and YLL. The effect of climate change on air quality is isolated by holding emissions of air pollutants constant while allowing climate to evolve over the 21st century according to a moderate projection of greenhouse gas emissions (A1B scenario). Resulting changes in 21st century climate alone lead to an increase in simulated PM_2.5 concentrations globally, and to higher (lower) O₃ concentrations over populated (remote) regions. Global annual premature mortality associated with chronic exposure to PM_2.5 increases by approximately 100 thousand deaths (95 % confidence interval, CI, of 66–130 thousand) with corresponding YLL increasing by nearly 900 thousand (95 % CI, 576–1,128 thousand) years. The annual premature mortality due to respiratory disease associated with chronic O₃ exposure increases by +6,300 deaths (95 % CI, 1,600–10,400). This climate penalty indicates that stronger emission controls will be needed in the future to meet current air quality standards and to avoid higher health risks associated with climate change induced worsening of air quality over populated regions.     

汾渭平原CUACE模式空气质量预报性能的检验订正及环境评估

利用2019年1—6月地面环境监测资料和PM_2.5气象条件评估指数，结合滚动偏差订正方法，对汾渭平原CUACE空气质量预报产品进行了检验订正，并对气象条件和污染减排影响进行了评估。结果表明：CUACE模式对空气质量指数(AQI)、PM_2.5和SO₂浓度预报值较接近观测值，PM₁₀、CO和NO₂预报值小于观测值，O₃预报值大于观测值；对首要污染物O₃和PM_2.5及重度和严重等级污染的预报的TS评分最高，漏报率和空报率最小，预报偏差最接近1；滚动偏差订正方法对改善CUACE空气质量预报效果较为明显，尤其是对PM₁₀、O₃和NO₂改善最为明显；汾渭平原2019年上半年气象条件变化使PM_2.5浓度较2018年同期和过去5年同期分别上升了18.26%和11.18%，减排措施使PM_2.5浓度较2018年同期和过去5年...     

Linkages between climate change and sustainable development

Abstract

Climate change does not yet feature prominently within the environmental or economic policy agendas of developing countries. Yet evidence shows that some of the most adverse effects of climate change will be in developing countries, where populations are most vulnerable and least likely to easily adapt to climate change, and that climate change will affect the potential for development in these countries. Some synergies already exist between climate change policies and the sustainable development agenda in developing countries, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, transport and sustainable land-use policies. Despite limited attention from policy-makers to date, climate change policies could have significant ancillary benefits for the local environment. The reverse is also true as local and national policies to address congestion, air quality, access to energy services and energy diversity may also limit GHG emissions. Nevertheless there could be significant trade-offs associated with deeper levels of mitigation in some countries, for example where developing countries are dependent on indigenous coal and may be required to switch to cleaner yet more expensive fuels to limit emissions. The distributional impacts of such policies are an important determinant of their feasibility and need to be considered up-front. It follows that future agreements on mitigation and adaptation under the convention will need to recognise the diverse situations of developing countries with respect to their level of economic development, their vulnerability to climate change and their ability to adapt or mitigate. Recognition of how climate change is likely to influence other development priorities may be a first step toward building cost-effective strategies and integrated, institutional capacity in developing countries to respond to climate change. Opportunities may also exist in developing countries to use regional economic organisations to assist in the design of integrated responses and to exploit synergies between climate change and other policies such as those designed to combat desertification and preserve biodiversity.

© 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

北京地区气溶胶PM2.5粒子浓度的相关因子及其估算模型

文中运用统计分析和气象统计预报的方法 ,使用北京白石桥小区的污染物观测资料和同期北京地区的气象观测资料 ,对影响大气污染的气象因子进行了综合分析 ,并分别建立了气溶胶PM 2 .5粒子浓度与气体污染物、气象要素场的两类统计相关拟合模型。发现气溶胶PM2 .5粒子浓度与气体污染物浓度存在不同程度的相关性 ,且与气象条件亦存在显著的相关关系 ,此类时空变化及其量化估算模型具有一定实际应用价值。通过确定气象要素场和气溶胶浓度的关系可进一步研究不同地区的污染物输送和污染源扩散影响的问题。     

Pollutant dispersion characteristics in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

Air pollution is a major environmental concern in major cities around the world. The major causes of air pollution include rapid industrialization/urbanization and increased non environment-friendly energy production. This paper analyses the atmospheric pollutant such as carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) dispersion characteristics of Dhaka city. The yearly and diurnal variations of pollutant concentration are described by taking into consideration of both meteorological and emission source parameters highlighting washout effect due to rainfall and inversion phenomena. Concentration of PM (both PM2.5 and PM10) and CO in the ambient air are measured for a period of one year with Airmetric Minivol air samplers and Gas Chromatographic (GC) technique, respectively. The trend over the year shows an increase in the monthly average hourly PM and CO concentrations in winter months (November to March) when both PM10 and PM2.5 annual average concentrations (about 130 and 95 ??g m^?3, respectively) exhibit levels exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines as well as exceed more than twice the national standards of annual PM10 (50 ??g m^?3) and PM2.5 (15 ??g m^?3) concentrations. Such high pollutant concentrations may have significant health implications for residents of Dhaka city. It is also found that the PM concentration increases with the increase of wind speed during dry winter season and is also influenced by transboundary air pollution. The data and subsequent recommendations can be useful in formulating air quality management strategies for the Dhaka city.     

Closing the emission price gap

Even without internationally concerted action on climate change mitigation, there are important incentives for countries to put a price on their domestic emissions, including public finance considerations, internalizing the climate impacts of their own emissions, and co-benefits, such as clean air or energy security. Whereas these arguments have been mostly discussed in separate strands of literature, this article carries out a synthesis that exemplifies how policies to put a price on emissions can be conceptualized in a multi-objective framework. Despite considerable uncertainty, empirical evidence suggests that different countries may face quite different incentives for emission pricing. For instance, avoided climate damages and co-benefits of reduced air pollution appear to be the main motivation for emission pricing in China, while for the US generating public revenue dominates and for the EU all three motivations are of intermediate importance. We finally argue that such unilateral incentives could form the basis for incremental progress in international climate negotiations toward a realistic climate treaty based on national interest and differentiated emission pricing and describe how such an agreement could be put into practice.     

Health co-benefits and the development of climate change mitigation policies in the European Union

The 2015 Paris Agreement requires increasingly ambitious emissions reduction efforts from its member countries. Accounting for ancillary positive health outcomes (health co-benefits) that result from implementing climate change mitigation policies can provide Parties to the Paris Agreement with a sound rationale for introducing stronger mitigation strategies. Despite this recognition, a knowledge gap exists on the role of health co-benefits in the development of climate change mitigation policies. To address this gap, the case study presented here investigates the role of health co-benefits in the development of European Union (EU) climate change mitigation policies through analysis and consideration of semi-structured interview data, government documents, journal articles and media releases. We find that while health co-benefits are an explicit consideration in the development of EU climate change mitigation policies, their influence on final policy outcomes has been limited. Our analysis suggests that whilst health co-benefits are a key driver of air pollution mitigation policies, climate mitigation policies are primarily driven by other factors, including economic costs and energy implications.

Key policy insights

• Health co-benefits are quantified and monetized as part of the development of EU climate change mitigation policies but their influence on the final policies agreed upon is limited.

• Barriers, such as the immediate economic costs associated with climate action, inhibit the influence of health co-benefits on the development of mitigation policies.

• Health co-benefits primarily drive the development of EU air pollution mitigation policies.

• The separation of responsibility for GHG and non-GHG emissions across Directorate Generals has decoupled climate change and air pollution mitigation policies, with consequences for the integration of health co-benefits in climate policy.

     

Climate change, ambient ozone, and health in 50 US cities

We investigated how climate change could affect ambient ozone concentrations and the subsequent human health impacts. Hourly concentrations were estimated for 50 eastern US cities for five representative summers each in the 1990s and 2050s, reflecting current and projected future climates, respectively. Estimates of future concentrations were based on the IPCC A2 scenario using global climate, regional climate, and regional air quality models. This work does not explore the effects of future changes in anthropogenic emissions, but isolates the impact of altered climate on ozone and health. The cities’ ozone levels are estimated to increase under predicted future climatic conditions, with the largest increases in cities with present-day high pollution. On average across the 50 cities, the summertime daily 1-h maximum increased 4.8 ppb, with the largest increase at 9.6 ppb. The average number of days/summer exceeding the 8-h regulatory standard increased 68%. Elevated ozone levels correspond to approximately a 0.11% to 0.27% increase in daily total mortality. While actual future ozone concentrations depend on climate and other influences such as changes in emissions of anthropogenic precursors, the results presented here indicate that with other factors constant, climate change could detrimentally affect air quality and thereby harm human health.     

Fossil fuel addiction and the implications for climate change policy

This paper applies a behavioral economics model of cigarette addiction to the issue of fossil fuel usage and climate change. Both problems involve consumption of a currently beneficial product that causes detrimental effects in the distant future and for which current reductions in usage induces an adjustment cost. The paper argues that because fossil fuel control requires solving an international public goods problem as well as an addiction-like problem, breaking it will be more challenging. Using insights from the model, it also suggests that fossil fuel addiction, like cigarette addiction, may generate a long period of time in which people express sincere desire to convert to clean energy, but accomplish little to achieve that outcome. Finally the paper examines the history of the international anti-smoking campaign to draw insights for the campaign against global climate change. The analogy suggests that policies to reduce the present cost of non-carbon energy sources to induce voluntary adjustments in energy usage, or, policies that induce cleaner usage of fossil fuels, or geo-engineering policies that work to reverse the warming effects of higher CO₂ concentrations, may be more viable than policies that raise the cost of current fossil fuel consumption.     

PM2.5 and ozone pollution-related health challenges in Japan with regards to climate change

The degradation of air quality, an environmental consequence of anthropogenic activities, poses a challenge to human health. However, the corresponding control measures incur additional costs. This study presents an analysis of the health and socioeconomic benefits of air quality control measures and climate change mitigation. Multidisciplinary modelling was used for PM_2.5 and ozone distribution to analyze the co-benefits of end-of-pipe measures and electrification as well as their period-specific impacts on human health and the economy. The results indicated that the long-term impacts of end-of-pipe technologies and electrification in Japan's residential, building, and transportation sectors could reduce premature deaths, caused by PM_2.5 and ozone pollution, by 65,500 annually from 2010 to 2050. These technologies could save a per capita work hour loss of 3.64 h and avoid an economic loss of 5.43 billion USD by 2050. This study predicted climate actions would enable western Japan to benefit from PM_2.5 control measures, whereas the entire country would benefit from ozone pollution reduction.     

秦皇岛2019年冬季重污染过程PM2.5来源数值模拟

秦皇岛地处河北省东北部,是环渤海重要的港口城市,在近几年京津冀地区减排效果较好的情况下,于2019年1月出现了多次持续细颗粒物（PM2.5）污染过程。因此本文利用耦合了数值源解析模块ISAM（Integrated Source Apportionment Method）的区域空气质量模式RAMS-CMAQ（Regional Atmospheric Modeling System–Community Multiscale Air Quality）,对2019年1月秦皇岛地区PM2.5进行模拟,并将PM2.5质量浓度高于（低于）75 μg m－3的时段划分为污染（清洁）时段,分别探讨了两个时段本地排放源对秦皇岛市PM2.5质量浓度的贡献情况,并且进一步探讨了秦皇岛各区县及外地排放源对秦皇岛市4个国控环境监测站点（第一关站、北戴河站、市监测站、建设大厦站）PM2.5质量浓度的区域传输特征。结果表明,秦皇岛地区PM2.5质量浓度整体呈“南高北低”式分布。清洁时段,PM2.5质量浓度受本地贡献较大,青龙县、卢龙县大部分地区贡献为40%～50%,海港区、抚宁区、北戴河区、第一关区及昌黎县大部分地区贡献在60%以上;4个国控环境监测站点受跨界输送贡献占34.7%～41.6%。污染时段,秦皇岛市本地贡献相对于清洁时段整体下降10%左右,当地大气污染受到跨界区域传输影响增加;而在4个国控站中,北戴河站、第一关站受到跨界输送贡献分别下降1.0%和2.3%;市监测站、建设大厦站受到跨界输送贡献分别上升2.9%和2.0%。