Better Outdoor Air Quality in
African Cities
elisa.dumitrescu@unep.org, http://www.unep.org
Urban Air Quality
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Over 800,000 deaths/year from urban air pollution
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Global health cost billions US$
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Transport - up to 75% of urban air pollution
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Transboundary movement of PM, NOx, SOx
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Vehicle emissions in Europe decreased by 1/3 in past decade - despite growing number of
vehicles – cleaner fuels and vehicles
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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 Monitoring
Industry
Indoor
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.
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
www.unep.org/pcfv
Low Sulphur Fuels
Three steps:
Sub-regional
intermediate level
500 ppm
50 ppm
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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
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3-way catalysts: maximum efficiency at 50 ppm or less sulphur
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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 Forward
Work 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