Support to the European Environment Agency

Aether has been providing support to the European Environment Agency through their European Topic Centres since 2014. From 2022 Aether provides support under two new ETCs – the ETC for Climate Change and Mitigation (CM) and the ETC for Human Health and the Environment (HE) – both of which will run until the end of 2026.

An annual work programme is agreed within each ETC, covering many different projects. Our work in these fall into three thematic areas:

1. Air pollution data and policy
2. Industrial pollution
3. Climate change mitigation policy

Some of the highlights of our work across these areas are summarised here.

Air pollution

Air pollution data

In 2022 this will include support to review and compilation of the EU-27 air pollution inventories under the NECD and the UN/ECE Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution (CLRTAP), and a project to explore the methodologies to estimate the health and environmental impacts of ammonia and methane emissions from the livestock sector. Aether will also be providing support to the 2023 update of the EMEP/EEA Guidebook for air pollution emissions inventories.

Analysis of air pollution policies

Aether supports the reporting and analysis of the air pollution policies and measures (PaMs) reported by EU Member States under the National Emissions reduction Commitments Directive (NECD). This produces a series of products:

• ETC/ATNI report with a 2021 update
• Interactive data visualisation
• Briefing note

The report describes the main characteristics of Member States’ additional air pollutant PaMs reported through the EEA PaM tool as required by Directive the NECD. The report also explores the potential synergies between air pollution and climate PaMs.

In 2021 Aether researched the impact of COVID-19 on Member States’ planned additional air pollution policies and the potential consequences for meeting their reduction commitments.

Industrial pollution

Aether has been leading work to support the European Commission and the EEA with the streamlining of industrial pollution reporting:

• The establishment of the EU Registry on Industrial Sites, a unique reference dataset containing identification and administrative data on industrial point sources covered by EU law on industrial pollution; and
• The integration of thematic reporting on combustion plants (LCPs) according to Article 72 of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and on facilities subject to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) Regulation.

These project websites contain numerous resources (including data models, QA/QC documentation and manuals for reporters) to help reporting countries prepare to use the new data flows:

• https://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/euregistry
• https://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/eprtr_lcp

In 2022 industrial emissions projects include research on the external cost of industrial air pollution, and the contribution of the industrial sector to the 2030 emissions reduction commitments and its role in the long term.

Contact Mark Gibbs for more information.

Climate change mitigation

Agricultural climate mitigation policies and measures

This project asked two key research questions: What kinds of policies for the mitigation of agricultural GHG emissions are currently implemented and planned by EU-27 MS, and why have they not effectively reduced overall agricultural GHG emissions? What further actions are needed to reduce EU-27 agricultural emissions? The report is available to read here.

Contact Richard German for more information.

Policies and measures reporting and analysis

These projects provide support to Member States reporting climate mitigation policies and measures (PaMs) under the EU Governance Regulation, analysis of the information reported, and development of a visual presentation of the data. Previously, this has included on anlaysis of topics such as case studies of good practice policy mixes in building energy efficiency, and on PaMs covering renewable energy in the heating and cooling sectors.

Recent publications include:

• Climate PaMs database which contains a number of PaMs implemented, adopted or planned by European countries to reduce GHG emissions, and an interactive data visualisation
• National policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe in 2021 (EEA Report No 5/2021)

In 2022 this includes support to the EEA exploring the impacts of climate mitigation policies in the waste sector.

See all case studies