TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORTATIONOECD International Conference, Vancouver Canada
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORTATION
Growing motor vehicle traffic is a major contributor to nearly every air pollution problem facing developed and developing countries today. In the OECD area, road transport is the dominant source of CO, NOx, VOC; a major source of other toxic trace pollutants, including a number of carcinogens related to particulate matter; and a substantial, growing contributor of greenhouse gases such as CO2. In urban areas, levels of motor-vehicle related pollutants frequently exceed international air quality guidelines, and are directly responsible for a large number of adverse health effects.
In many countries, there are impacts over wide areas and across national boundaries from large-scale formation of photochemical smog and long-range transport of air pollution originating in cities. Materials are damaged, and rural areas, forests and other ecosystems are affected.
This paper views the problem of motor vehicle pollution within the context of sustainable development in which the protection of health and of the environment are priority concerns. It presents a comprehensive review of the health and environmental impacts caused by motor vehicle pollution with reference to traditional major air pollutants and toxic trace pollutants, stressing the need for substantial, further emission reductions.
As the vehicle fleet continues to grow, the effectiveness of current emissions control policies in OECD countries is being undermined, while the increase in toxic pollutants and carbon dioxide remains largely unaddressed. The paper presents a synopsis of the impact that stricter, comprehensive control programmes could have on motor vehicle emissions over the next thirty to forty years. It shows the substantial potential for reducing emissions offered by state-of-the-art control technology, but also underlines the crucial importance of preventive and integrated approaches for any long-term strategy capable of realizing durable reductions in motor vehicle emissions.