A Transition to a Green
Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development
and Poverty Eradication will be launched
at 10.00AM GMT on 21 February 2011
East Africa gets into gear for cleaner,
greener fuel
Transition to low-sulphur
diesel and cleaner vehicles could achieve
US$6 billion in health savings for Sub-Saharan
Africa each year
Nairobi, 18 February
2011 - In a move that is set to improve
air quality and reduce vehicle emissions
across East Africa, Kenya has officially
launched its transition to low-sulphur diesel.
Containing only 5% of the amount of sulphur
present in Kenya's previous diesel supply,
the cleaner fuel is already available in
limited stations and will soon be present
in pumps across the country.
This new milestone for
cleaner fuel in East Africa is the result
of the work of the Partnership for Clean
Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) - the leading
global initiative to promote cleaner and
more efficient fuels and vehicles in developing
countries. Co-ordinated by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and supported
by the governments of the USA, the Netherlands,
Canada and other partners, PCFV focuses
on three global campaigns: reducing sulphur
in vehicle fuels, eliminating leaded gasoline
and adopting cleaner vehicle standards and
technologies.
Sulphur levels in diesel
and petrol differ dramatically across the
globe. While many developed countries have
already set standards for sulphur levels
in diesel as low as 10 parts per million
(ppm), sulphur levels in some developing
countries can be as high as 10,000 ppm.
Kenya's new standard
of 500ppm became the lowest in East Africa
when imports started in October 2010. Tanzania
soon followed suit and began introducing
500ppm diesel last month. Kenya's low-sulphur
standard will also have a significant impact
in countries to which it exports diesel,
such as Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
To mark Kenya's switch
to low-sulphur, United Nations Under-Secretary
General and UNEP Executive Director Achim
Steiner joined Michelle DePass, Assistant
Administrator of the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) at the United
Nations petrol station in Nairobi.
"The partnership
that is removing lead and cutting the sulphur
levels of transportation fuels in Africa
and beyond is among the key successes of
the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
with enormous benefits in terms of reduced
air pollution and perhaps for the wider
environment", said Mr. Steiner.
"Striking economic
benefits are emerging too. UNEP's Green
Economy report, to be launched next week
at the Governing Council, estimates that
reducing the sulphur content of transportation
fuels in Sub Saharan Africa alone with the
current fleet of vehicles could save up
to nearly US$1 billion a year in health
and related costs - proof, if proof were
needed, that investing in the environment
is rarely a burden but a way of intelligently
and cost-effectively growing a modern, sustainable
economy", he added.
"By switching to lower sulphur diesel
fuel, Kenyan leaders are working to ensure
that their air is cleaner, their people
healthier and their future more prosperous",
said US EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in
a statement.
"EPA has been a
strong supporter of the Partnership for
Clean Fuels and Vehicles and I applaud Kenya
for leading by example and showing their
partner nations the extraordinary health
benefits that can come from cleaner fuels.
This is an important step toward reducing
pollution in the air millions of people
breathe, and we will continue to work with
Kenya and other African nations to make
progress", she added.
Low-sulphur fuels reduce
the levels of air pollutants emitted by
vehicles - such as sulphur oxides, soot
and smoke particles - which, among other
health risks, can trigger respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases and pose an increased
risk of lung cancer. The World Health Organisation
estimates that almost 800,000 people die
prematurely each year due to urban air pollution
- with the majority of deaths occurring
in developing countries.
Furthermore, reducing
sulphur levels in diesel allows the use
of emission-reducing technologies in vehicles,
such as high-pressure injection, computer
controls and exhaust gas recirculation.
These technologies cannot function if a
vehicle uses high-sulphur diesel.
Lower sulphur levels
in fuel also reduce corrosion in car cylinders
and exhausts, leading to longer engine life
and less frequent repairs or rebuilds.
There are significant
financial benefits for Africa in a switch
to low-sulphur diesel. A World Bank study
shows that, when combined with cleaner vehicles,
adoption of low-sulphur fuel would result
in annual savings in health costs of US$6
billion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2010
and 2020, total savings are projected to
be US$43 billion.
Towards a global low-sulphur
standard
The Partnership for
Clean Fuels and Vehicles is working with
the Kenyan government and the oil industry
towards the segregation of low-sulphur diesel
for major towns, where fuel consumption
is generally high. Nairobi, for example,
is home to 65% of Kenya's total fuel consumption.
"Kenya is committed
to switching to cleaner, low-sulphur fuels",
said Magerer Lang'at, Assistant Minister
for Petroleum Energy.
"We are considering
upgrading the country's oil refinery, which
will allow us to hit the 50 ppm target,
a milestone not only for Kenya but for East
Africa. This project is crucial to improving
the health of our people and the health
of the planet", added Mr. Lang'at.
Projections show that
that worldwide demand for fuels is set to
double by 2050. The vast majority of this
increased demand will be from developing
countries, with knock-on results of higher
emissions from vehicles and a detrimental
impact on urban air quality. The world's
urban population now exceeds its rural population
- resulting in greater human exposure to
the health risks of high-sulphur or leaded
fuels and poor air quality.
Through a global network
of governments, fuel companies and other
organisations, the Partnership for Clean
Fuels and Vehicles is achieving significant
progress in reducing sulphur levels in fuels.
Countries such as Brazil, South Africa,
India and Indonesia are committing to -
or already selling - standards of 50ppm
or less in major cities. This means that
in Indonesia, for example, the latest diesel
grade contains only 2.5% of the amount of
sulphur present in the country's supply
in 2005. Today, 99 countries have adopted
plans to reduce sulphur levels in diesel
to 50 ppm.
"The promotion
and use of modern, cleaner fuels is certainly
an effective pathway to better health and
environment, cleaner vehicles and cleaner
air", said Wanjiku Manyara, General
Manager of the Petroleum Institute of East
Africa.
As well as reducing
sulphur levels in fuel, one of the key aims
of the Partnership for Cleans Fuels and
Vehicles is the global elimination of leaded
petrol. The presence of lead in vehicle
emissions has a damaging effect on human
health and the environment. Studies have
shown that inhalation of lead can lead to
behavioural problems and poor mental health
in children. Heart disease, high blood pressure
and organ damage have also been linked to
lead exposure.
When the partnership
was formed in 2002, some 82 countries still
used leaded petrol. Today, only six countries
remain - all of which have ongoing phase-out
programmes in co-operation with PCFV. A
2010 study commissioned by UNEP shows that
global phase-out of leaded petrol would
result in health benefits equivalent to
trillion of dollars a year or some 4% of
global GDP. In Africa, the health savings
are estimated at US$92 billion per year.
Just like low-sulphur
fuel, unleaded petrol allows the use of
modern vehicle technologies, such as advanced
catalytic converters, which reduces emissions
as well as protecting vehicles against damage
to engines, exhausts and other parts.
Cleaner fuels for cleaner
vehicles
With the global vehicle
fleet expected to rise from 2 billion to
3 billion by 2050, cleaner fuels must go
hand-in-hand with cleaner cars, motorcycles
and buses in order to reduce damage to human
health and the environment.
The Partnership for
Clean Fuels and Vehicles is working with
countries to develop and adopt cleaner vehicle
policies - such as import regulations and
emissions standards - to improve air quality
and help reduce CO2 emissions worldwide.
To help achieve real
improvements in the fuel economy of the
world's growing fleet of vehicles, UNEP
is a partner in the '50 by 50' campaign
run by the Global Fuel Economy Initiative.
Working with governments, the fuel industry
and vehicle manufacturers, the campaign
aims for a global target of a 50% improvement
in fuel economy by 2050.
Transport
is one of the key industries highlighted
in UNEP's forthcoming Green Economy report,
due to be launched on 21 February at the
Governing Council in Nairobi. The report
shows that improving energy efficiency across
all transport modes and shifting from private
transport to public or non-motorised transport
would not only reduce harmful emissions
and improve air quality, but increase employment
by around 10% above a 'business as usual'
model.