The EU's NEC Directive ('National Emission reduction Commitments Directive') aims to reduce emissions of five air pollutants in Europe by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. 

However, not all pollutants are included in the directive. The greenhouse gas methane is excluded, despite the fact that it contributes to air pollution through the formation of ground-level ozone.Ground-level ozone damages public health, crops, biodiversity and ecosystems. According to the European Environment Agency, 70.000 premature deaths could potentially be prevented if ground-level ozone values ​​remained within WHO air quality guidelines, and ozone damage to crops in Europe alone costs at least 2 billion euros per year. 

Before the end of 2025, the directive must be evaluated, which opens the discussion on which air pollutants the NEC Directive should cover.  

Tuesday, October 28th, 9-10 am Green Transition Denmark therefore invites you to a webinar on the NEC Directive and air pollution in the EU. 

Here we focus on the purpose of the directive, why methane is exempted from it, how ground-level ozone is a problem and methane's role in this, as well as the political battles ahead. In the webinar, you will be able to hear presentations from Thomas Ellermann, senior researcher at the Department of Environmental Sciences at Aarhus University and Margherita Tolotto, policy manager for air and noise at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).

Moderator: Lærke Kjærbye-Thygesen from the Green Transition Denmark. 

Conference program:

9:00 a.m.: Welcome by Lærke Kjærbye-Thygesen, advisor to the Green Transition Denmark

9.05 am: Update from Brussels on the work on air pollution and the NEC Directive by Stine Bosse, Member of the European Parliament for the Moderate Party and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Public Health

Kl. 9.15: The role of methane in air pollution in the EU by Thomas Ellermann, senior researcher at the Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University

9.35 am: The political battles over the NEC Directive v. Margherita Tolotto, policy manager for air and noise at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) (In English)

Financed with a grant from the European Council. Responsibility for the content lies solely with the grant recipient.