Belgrade, November 6, 2019 – Regarding the announcement of the Ministry of the Environmental Protection about air pollution, Coalition 27 emphasizes the following:
We support the efforts of the Ministry of the Environment to encourage the broadest public to engage in responsible environmental behavior, to cease harmful practices (such as stubble ignition) and to influence on decisions to have less negative environmental impacts (such as the selection of cars with hybrid engines). It is also commendable that the Ministry points out that the development of sustainable forms of urban mobility is necessary for the sustainable development of cities.
However, we would like to remind the public that in 2018, air quality was officially rated Category III (excessively polluted air) in Belgrade, Kraljevo, Valjevo, Kragujevac, Subotica, Sremska Mitrovica, Pancevo, Uzice, Smederevo and Kosjeric. In all these sites, PM10 and / or PM2.5 particles were the cause of the excess air pollution. Road transport contributed 6% for both pollutants, while most emissions came from heating plants with power less than 50 MW and individual combustion plants (57% for PM10 and 75% for PM2.5). When it comes to sulfur oxide pollution, the dominant source of emissions in 2018 was electricity and heat production - as much as 91%. The electricity and heat production sector also had the largest share in total nitrogen oxide emissions - 49%, while road transport was second with a contribution of 23%. According to the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency's data on sources of pollutants, traffic can not be considered as the dominant source of PM10 and PM2.5 suspended particles.
This is official data of the Environmental Protection Agency, so we call on the Ministry of Environmental Protection to rely on them in its public address or, if it has other information, to share such information with the public, so that it will be accessible to all of us.
Sectoral share of total national emissions of suspended particulate matter PM10 and PM2,5 (left) and sulfur and nitrogen oxides (right), source: Annual Report on the State of the Air Quality in the Republic of Serbia 2018, Serbian Environmental Protection Agency.
Photo source: freepik.com