Belgium vs. Poland

Belgium has a temperate maritime climate characterized by moderate temperatures, predominantly west winds, cloudy sky and frequent rain.

Environmental issues in Belgium are slightly different from the rest of Europe and are evidenced by: urbanization which leads to an increase in soil permeability, water quality which is the result of the small number of sewage drains and inadequate treatment of these waters, low air quality because of the gases emissions from traffic and heating homes, issues that affect not only their own environment but neighboring countries too.

Main tropospheric ozone precursors came from industrial activities and traffic. Tropospheric ozone is a heavy gas with a density  of 1.66 times the air’s density, property that keeps ozone on the ground. The quantity of ozone is variable in time and space and is well known that these precursors are carried over long distance from the sources of generation. Maybe the major effect of this tropospheric ozone is that from the photochemical smog appears (smog that has carcinogenic effects for lungs).An example of how fast photochemical ozone forms and travels is this base case model experiment published in Atmospheric Environment, Volume 30, Issue 2, January 1996 by R. G. DERWENT,* M. E. JENKIN and S. M. SAUNDERS.

The effect of smog in Brussels. Source: http://farm3.static.flickr.com

Tropospheric ozone causes the greenhouse effect too. Main primary pollutants that cause photochemical ozone formation processes are nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and methane.

Ozone emissions between 1990 and 2002 and the target for 1990-2010. Source: http://www.eea.europa.eu/

From the graph above we can see that Belgium did not achieve the target to reduce emissions for this pollutant by 2010 so the Belgian population was exposed to high ozone concentrations. The European maximum admissible concentration for ozone is 120 μg/m³ . This means that for example in 2003, in Belgium, 70% of all population was exposed to  a concentration higher than the limit. This was the largest exposure over the last decade for Belgium, and was due to the mostly dry and excessive summer of 2003. There is no clear trend, but in comparative weather conditions like the one from 2003, the duration and the intensity of ozone concentrations (and therefore exposure of the population) have decreased in subsequent years. According to the website of the European Environment Agency since 1990 (except 1991 and 2007) the entire Belgian population was exposed to concentrated ozone greater than 120 mg/m3  for at least one day.

Besides the impact in water and air quality, many of the present lethal diseases are noticeable and react at climate change.

One of the conclusions was that from 1961 in Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands and Great Britain have experienced the biggest increase in deaths related to ozone and greenhouse gases.

Sonian Forest is near Brussels in south-east and covers 3 regions.  For moment, this forest is composed by beech, particularity which made the forest a very fragile ecosystem. Recently this ecosystem and how climate change will affect the forest caught scientists’ attention.  One scenario was simulated and based on its outcomes, by 2100 the climate near Sonian Forest will be like the Loire catchment, situation which will manifest through an increase of 3°C for mean temperatures and with 4°C in summer, a decrease of 15% of precipitations in summer and an increase in winter’s precipitations by 20% and also an increase in winter storms’ frequency and intensity .

Between 1990 and 2006 GHG emissions recorded a decrease in all the sectors, decrease which is the result of the introduction of market economies and restructuring and closing heavily polluting industries.

According to the European Environment Agency’s website, the distribution of emissions of greenhouse gases in Belgium is presented as follows:

• In Flanders emissions are down by around 5% between 1990 and 2007. However, emissions from the transport sector and the commercial / institutional are increasing.

• In Wallonia, emissions decreased considerably between 1990 and 2007. However, road transport related emissions have continued to rise, by about one-third since 1990.

According to these changes, emissions of greenhouse gases in Belgium are expected to increase by 3% untill 2020. The main factors explaining the significant increase after 2010 are high energy demands combined with increased production in industries that are responsible for process emissions.

If current laws remain unchanged average emissions of greenhouse gases could increase by 31% in the 2006-2030 period.

Under the National Climate Comission,  a national climate plan was established. It is based on various regional plans and federal measures and it is called "Belgian national climate change adaptation strategy”.This plan is based on five strategic axes sector. These are:

1. Reducing human and natural vulnerabilities and improving building resilience;
2. Managing water and land to protect natural systems and preserving vital ecosystems, goods and functions;
3. Generating the funding and the institutional governance needed;
4. Accelerating innovation take up and technology diffusion;
5. Overcoming behavioural and institutional inertia.

Country report and climate change mitigation for Belgium. 

Like the other communist countries, Poland has some damages in everything that is environment quality because of the resource exploitation policies that had serious consequences. Studies undertaken after 1989 showed extremely poor quality components environment, air, water, soil and vegetation cover in particularly around industrial centers in Upper Silesia and region Krakow. 

In 1991, Poland had 5 areas classified as "environmental disasters". From these, Upper Silesia is the most affected area is considered as indicators as infant mortality (30 per thousand),diseases of the respiratory system and the circulatory dramatic values ​​were compared with Western Europe. 

To support the information that make from Poland a case of  'air pollution' 

Mieczysław Leśniok, 

Łukasz Małarzewski, 

Tadeusz Niedźwiedź

 's article is a point from where to start.

Transition to a market economy started to improve economic performance and reduce environmental pressures. Air pollution has decreased sharply, SO2 emissions are currently about 25% of what they were in 1980. This transition to a market economy has had an impact and in terms of legislation, thus following the adoption of the Constitution of 1997 (current Constitution of Poland) ensure environmental protection, but at the same time pursuing sustainable development.

Between 1991 and 2000 in Poland there were adopted two national politics for environment.  The 2^nd one is divided in three parts : 2000-2002 (short term), 2002-2010 (medium term), 2010-2015 (long term) and each of these parts has goals for management of natural resources, improving environmental quality, strengthen environmental policies and cooperation for environmental issues of international interest.

Poland's Climate Policy- The strategies for greenhouse gas emission reductions in Poland until2020.

In Poland GHG emissions did not exceed 400 million tones C02 from 1997. However, in 1988 GHG emissions level was much higher (approx. 570 million tones). Between 1988 and 1990 a huge decrease was recorded for CO2 emissions, with a value of 460 million tones. This decrease was the result of some changes in the political and economic field. The main GHG from Poland is CO2 and 82% of the emissions come from fuel combustion both industrial processes and transport.

GHG emissions in Poland 1988-2008

The changes in the amount of GHG in reference to changes in GDP and primary energy consumption and electricity reveal growth observed since 1990 have been accompanied by stabilization (up to 1997), and a further reduction of the greenhouse gases. It should be emphasized that despite the dynamic growth of the economy between 1990 and 2007, the emissions of GHG remained at a stable level due to the widely implementation of modern technologies in industry and introducing more restrictions , including legal instruments, and alternative solutions for energy saving.

Changes in greenhouse gas emissions in Poland (in CO2 equivalent) compared to changes in primary energy consumption, electric energy consumption and GDP in 1990–2008.

Useful link