[attach id=285222 size="medium"]Malta has made significant progress, particularly through the importation of less polluting vehicles. Photo: Jason Borg[/attach]
Malta has managed to meet all air quality targets for the first time, according to a European report published yesterday.
Preliminary data for 2011 shows the island has managed to keep emissions of four air pollutants below the level required by the EU’s Environment Agency.
Although Malta made significant progress during previous years – particularly through a cleaner energy generating process at the power stations and importing vehicles that pollute less – 2011 is the first year it has managed to become fully compliant since its accession to the EU in 2004.
Malta managed to make the grade following the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions – the only pollutant that until 2010 was still not completely under control.
According to the EEA, while in 2010 Malta exceeded emissions of NOx by 1.42 per cent, it managed to go 1.8 per cent below the same benchmark the following year.
Eight EU member states are still exceeding their emission limits
Under EU rules, particularly the National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NECD), Malta had to bring under control four poisonous gases emitted into the atmosphere.
Apart from NOx, the EU directive stipulates benchmarks for sulphur dioxide (SO2), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and ammonia (NH3). Malta had already been compliant with the EU directive when it comes to these three gasses and the 2011 data shows that more progress has been achieved.
According to data obtained by this newspaper, since 2007 Malta has managed to reduce emissions significantly in all four categories.
Where it comes to NOx, the island reduced its emissions from 11.3 kilotonnes in 2007 to eight in 2011, while SO2 was lowered from 18.2 kilotonnes in 2007 to eight in 2011.
The EEA data also shows that NMVOCs were reduced from 3.2 to 2.5 kilotonnes while NH3 – produced mainly by agriculture – were reduced from 1.8 to 1.5 kilotonnes during the 2007-2011 period.
According to the 2011 EEA data, eight EU member states were still exceeding their emission limits, including Austria, France, Germany and Finland.