Environmental Protection: Why Is Europe’s Air (mostly) so Clean?

Air pollution is one of the leading causes of noncommunicable disease globally [1], and in Europe [2]. The London Smog of 1952 [3] was a major wake-up call, but European legislation as we know it today started to develop only in the late 1950’s [4] with the recognition of acid rain and the transboundary pollution contributing to it. European legislation developed in collaboration with the UN ECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) of 1977 [5]. The approach to air pollution is three-prongued [6]: through limiting emissions to air on national and source level, by setting limit values for air pollutants, and through product regulations (such as, eco stoves). This approach has been supported by knowledge base development: monitoring and measurement systems and technologies are constantly developing, effects on man-related and natural systems are better understood, and elaborate governance systems are put in place. This has been a successful effort [7], even if at times, high pollution levels still occur – both due to man-mande and natural causes. Emissions of most criteria pollutants decreased, as has the exposure of the European population. Future developments in legislation will reflect the significant new knowledge on the nature of air pollution, on health effects and on benefits of pollution-free environments [8,9]. This will lead to lowering the limit values for air pollution. Recognizing the efforts on climate change mitigation, more emphasis will likely be given to co-benefits of mitigation measures for air pollution and for climate, and to the complex interrelations between the two issues.