Published: 16 Sep 2011
The budget is one area where governments
can influence our interaction with the environment
– encouraging beneficial
behaviour, and discouraging environmental
destruction. As a conference on environmental
fiscal reform opens at the European Environment
Agency (EEA), we consider the potential
for using financial carrots and sticks to
improve the environment.
Ireland is one of the
wettest countries in Europe, with up to
225 wet days per year in some areas. But
even Dublin, capital of the 'Emerald Isle',
has suffered from water shortages. A lot
of water was being wasted, as tap water
was free of user charges so there was little
incentive for people to use water sensibly.
Demand increased to such high levels that
Ireland considered investing hundreds of
millions of euros in new water transfers.
However, the Irish government will soon
introduce water pricing, which aims to achieve
two objectives – cutting water consumption,
so making new water transfer infrastructure
less urgent, while also providing a new
revenue stream. Low income groups could
be compensated directly ('green checks'
for instance), which will be more effective
than providing free access to common goods.
In addition, this may in fact be more equitable
- rich people have more bathrooms, bigger
gardens and larger cars to wash, so they
benefit relatively more if not the resource
is properly priced.
This example illustrates the potential for
improving the environment using economic
instruments, which is the topic of a conference
hosted by the European Environment Agency
(EEA), 15-16 September, 2011.
The conference will focus on using environmental
fiscal reform to drive innovation in European
companies, encouraging both production and
consumption of environmentally friendly
and energy efficient products. In addition,
it will consider ways of positively communicating
environmental fiscal reform. Conference
speakers include Connie Hedegaard, European
Commissioner for Climate Action, and Jacqueline
McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA.
Economic instruments and environmental innovation
Economic instruments such as taxes, user-charges,
deposit-refund systems and emissions trading
are among the strongest tools available
for integrating environmental concerns directly
in the operation of a market economy. They
may not always guarantee that very specific
quality measures are met, but the mechanisms
can help businesses, industry and consumers
make more sustainable choices. Moreover,
implementation can be much smoother than
imposing detailed regulations.
Indeed, such policy innovation can drive
technical innovation, urgently needed across
Europe. Presently Europe imports far more
materials and energy for its consumption
than it exports, with an environmental and
an economic cost. As these raw materials
are becoming more expensive, it is doubly
important to decouple this consumption from
economic growth.
Europe also needs increasingly comprehensive
systems for recycling of materials, products
and waste to take advantage of the raw materials
that have been brought to Europe.
In addition to more general discussion on
environmental fiscal reform, the conference
also includes a number of special sessions
looking at the revision of the Energy Tax
Directive. The conference is co-organised
by Green Budget Europe and the Danish Ecological
Council. Sponsors include the EEA, the European
Environmental Bureau (EEB), Rockwool International
and thinktank Concito.
+ More
Using models for air
quality assessment and planning: a guide
Published: 26 Sep 2011
Computer models are increasingly used for
estimating air quality or forecasting changes
in pollution levels. Various different models
are currently used across Europe. The new
FAIRMODE reference guide aims to make these
models comparable, well documented and validated
in order to achieve reliable results.
In the past, assessment
and reporting of air quality was largely
based on monitored measurement data. This
is changing - the European Directive on
Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for
Europe (2008) places more emphasis on the
use of models as a complement to monitoring
data in order to conduct air quality assessment,
forecasting and planning.
There is a pressing need to harmonise the
way these models are applied since they
have been used in various forms and with
differing and often incomparable quality
assurance methods across Europe, at both
national and local levels.
The Forum for Air Quality Modelling in Europe
(FAIRMODE) was established in 2008 in order
to facilitate model comparability, documentation
and reliability. FAIRMODE is a joint initiative
of the European Environment Agency (EEA)
and the European Commission's Joint Research
Centre (JRC). The FAIRMODE technical reference
guide published today is an output of that
initiative. It provides a general overview
of the use of models with regard to the
EU’s Air Quality Directives.
The report includes a list of first recommendations
for developing model evaluation protocols.
As modelling methods and data sources improve,
it is expected that models will increasingly
be used by those working to improve air
quality. This report and future guidance
documents from FAIRMODE are intended to
support this development by providing recommendations
and clarifications.
