UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution – 40 years of action for cleaner air

Abstract

November 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the adoption in Geneva of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, which aims primarily to reduce the damage to human health and the environment caused by air pollution. Over the years, the Convention has been extended by eight protocols that identify measures to control emissions of basic air pollutants. The efforts
undertaken under the Convention have been instrumental in bolstering international cooperation to limit the pollution with sulphur and nitrogen oxides as well as to reduce emissions of other pollutants. The European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) has been developed complete with modelling and forecasting air pollution levels and pollutant fluxes. Robust information has been gathered in the EMEP databases. However, much remains to be done, and air pollution is still a challenge in the
UN ECE region.