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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘CLRTAP and the Gothenburg Protocol’ : 27 December

Daily News Analysis ‘CLRTAP and the Gothenburg Protocol’ : 27 December

Table of Content

Why in News? 

  • The Executive Body of the UNECE Air Convention recently met to advance the formal revision of the Gothenburg Protocol, targeting a significant reduction in health and ecosystem impacts by 2040 by potentially including methane and black carbon as mandatory pollutants.

The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP)

  • Genesis: Signed in 1979 under the UNECE, it was the first international legally binding instrument to address regional air pollution.
  • Core Objective: To protect human health and the environment from air pollution that travels across national borders (transboundary pollution).
  • Framework Nature: It functions as a parent convention with eight specific protocols targeting different substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals.
  • Scientific Foundation: It relies on the EMEP Programme for monitoring and modeling the atmospheric transport of pollutants.
  • Geographic Scope: It covers 51 Parties, primarily in Europe and North America. While India is not a member, the convention serves as the global gold standard for regional environmental cooperation.

The Gothenburg Protocol (1999)

  • Unique Approach: Known as the multi-pollutant, multi-effect protocol, it simultaneously addresses three environmental issues: acidification, eutrophication, and ground-level ozone.
  • Original Pollutants: Established emission ceilings for four major pollutants:
    • Sulphur Dioxide 
    • Nitrogen Oxides 
    • Ammonia 
    • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
  • The 2012 Amendment: A landmark revision added Fine Particulate Matter and was the first international treaty to target Black Carbon (soot) as a component to link air quality with climate goals.
  • Environmental Targets:
    • Acidification: Reduces acid rain that damages soil and water.
    • Eutrophication: Limits nitrogen buildup that causes algal blooms in lakes.
    • Ground-level Ozone: Reduces “bad ozone” created by NOx and VOCs in sunlight, which harms crops and human lungs.
  • Future Revision Focus: Current negotiations aim to include Methane as a mandatory ozone precursor and set a 2040 target year for new reduction commitments, aligning the protocol with the Global Methane Pledge.
DO YOU KNOW? UNECE Air Convention
  • The UNECE Air Convention aims to control air pollution that travels across national borders.
  • It was adopted in 1979 under the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
  • The convention addresses pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and heavy metals.
EMEP Programme
  • The EMEP Programme stands for European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme.
  • It supports the UNECE Air Convention by monitoring long-range transboundary air pollution.
  • EMEP provides scientific data and modelling on air pollutant emissions, transport, and impacts across countries.