Once again, our country is on censorship. This time the European Commission is raising concerns about air quality and noise pollution, while calling for solutions to these pressing issues. The electromobility transformation of road transportation will not only be greener, but also quieter. Even in countries with the most „dirty” electricity production (coal-based), electric cars are more environmentally friendly than their combustion counterparts. Air quality in our country can be improved, among other things, by Clean Transportation Zones, which may be established later this year in four cities. Education should not be forgotten either.

Poland, as a member state, has a number of obligations to fulfill under the general arrangements of the European Commission. The latter has recently taken steps against member states that have not fulfilled their obligations under EU law. They concern various EC sectors and policies. „The aim of this action is to ensure the proper application of Union law for the benefit of citizens and businesses,” – reads the EU website.

A wilderness in trouble

Among those „various” sectors that have come under scrutiny are those related to the environment, such as „The Commission calls on Poland to implement the Court of Justice’s ruling on nature protection in the Białowieża Forest.” More specifically, the issue is the implementation of a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding the failure of a Member State to comply with its obligations under the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC) with regard to the protection of the Białowieża Primeval Forest.
NO2 exceeded

This is not the only accusation the EC is directing at our country. Together with Belgium and the Czech Republic, we have been called upon to comply with Directive 2008/50/EC, which relates to air quality and clean air for Europe. It states, that in the event of exceedances of permissible concentrations of individual components, member countries are to introduce countermeasures and adopt air protection plans so that the period with exceedances is as short as possible.

The justification for the EC’s decision reads, „The European Green Deal, whose ambition is zero emissions, places great emphasis on reducing air pollution, which is one of the key factors affecting human health.” The EC also explained that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) comes mainly from human activities, such as industry and traffic, where vehicles with diesel-powered internal combustion engines are the main problem. It is worth recalling at this point that NO2 is a dangerous component of pollution, as it contributes to serious diseases like asthma and impaired lung function. For this reason, compliance with air quality standards is crucial.

„In Poland, annual limit values for NO2 have been exceeded in four agglomerations (Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw and Upper Silesia). Reports show that the measures put in place to eliminate NO2 exceedances are not sufficient to keep the periods of exceedances as short as possible,” the EU release reads. As a result, (like Belgium and the Czech Republic) Poland has been given two months to respond and take the necessary measures to improve the situation. Otherwise, the EC may refer the matter to the EU Court of Justice.

Noise is being a problem too

Another objection from the EC concerns noise. In this case, the Commission has decided to refer Poland to the EU Court of Justice for failing to comply with its obligations under the Noise Directive (2002/49/EC). „Polish national law does not mandate the drawing up of action plans, which are mandatory under the directive regardless of whether or not the limit values are exceeded in the area. There are still no action plans for 20 major railroad sections and 290 major road sections despite the expiration of the deadline for adopting such action plans,” the portal reads. It added that Polish law does not require action plans to contain all the necessary elements provided for in the directive. Examples include: a register of public consultations, measures to preserve quiet areas, and a long-term strategy.

In the communiqué on the case against Poland, one can read that noise causes 12,000 premature deaths and contributes to 48,000 new cases of ischemic heart disease (caused by narrowing of coronary arteries) per year in Europe. It is also estimated that 6.5 million Europeans suffer from chronic, significant sleep disturbances that impair the cognitive system and cause stress.

What can be done

The solution to the problems of excessive NO2 emissions (as well as other pollutants) and noise may lie in electromobility. The transformation of road transportation technology will not only be greener, but also quieter. For a long time now, the authorities of many cities have been considering changing vehicles, which are in the municipal fleet, such as for city cleaning, to electric ones. This is due to the reduction of noise emissions during the night and morning hours, where quite a few residents have not yet started their day. In the case of emissions, it must be stressed that electric cars provide a solution to this problem. Of course, we can’t at this point risk the thesis that this is a perfect technology, because emissions of harmful substances, including CO2, still occur, including in the production of the vehicles themselves, as well as the energy to power them. At the same time, there is a shift of these emissions from city centers to their outskirts, where they have much less negative impact on human life.

The fact is that this is not a model, however, if one takes into account the projections that by 2040 more than 70 percent of the population will congregate in urban arteries as a result of the migration of people from the countryside and small towns, then „taking” emissions outside the urban perimeter seems reasonable at this stage.

To educate and promote

Various promotional activities are being carried out to improve air quality. Among them can be mentioned those related to the „electromobility” program. On a dedicated portal (elektromobilni.pl), one can learn why it is worth switching to zero-emission transportation and how to join one of the programs dedicated to individuals or companies.
The promotional campaign is not based solely on convincing about the advantages of an electric car. It is about building public awareness, education and promotion of electromobility. In addition, such activities also stimulate the market, not only in terms of promoting new vehicles, but also expanding infrastructure and creating support programs. The project also offers specific tools, e.g. you can use it to compare environmentally friendly cars, calculate the cost of charging, or see what the public infrastructure for powering them is like. All this is done to facilitate decision-making and work together to improve the quality of life in cities.

Research confirms

According to research and analysis conducted by the European NGO Transport & Environment, electric cars are „better” in their life cycle than their combustion variants. The conclusions clearly state that even in countries with the most „dirty” electricity production (we are talking about production from coal), electric cars are more environmentally friendly.

It’s worth noting that it’s a matter of dispute that the report notes that the extraction, processing of oil and delivery of diesel to the distributor account for only 16 percent of emissions over the car’s life cycle. Some experts argue that it is a much larger share.
T&E says that even with the worst electricity generation procedure, electric cars will emit less carbon dioxide over their life cycle than diesel cars. Polish conditions are not the best. According to the report, the worst coal-fired power plants in Europe emit more than 1,200 grams of CO2 per kWh of energy. For Poland, the figure is 650 g/kWh. Nevertheless, T&E’s calculations show that electric cars in Poland will emit on average 25% less CO2 than diesels.

It is also worth mentioning that the project’s authors assumed that an electric car travels 200,000 kilometers during its lifetime, and that half of the cars will have their battery packs replaced during this time. In addition, the calculations take into account 35 percent higher fuel consumption (diesel) than declared by manufacturers.

The ministry is also already acting

According to recent reports, the Ministry of Climate and Environment has begun to work intensively to implement countermeasures, excess NO2 emissions. Among the measures is work on a law on Clean Transportation Zones. Later this year (probably starting in September), an order is to take effect – at least for four cities – to create such Zones. Their shape and the cars that will be allowed to enter it are to depend on the agglomeration’s authorities. Owners of older vehicles, meanwhile, will have to pay an additional fee calculated on the basis of the time they travel in the zone.

In summary, it should be said that electromobility may be the key to minimizing the assumed limits of individual exhaust components (including the aforementioned NO2). However, in order for this to happen, the share of these vehicles in the overall vehicle fleet must increase significantly. If this happens, it will be possible to speak of success on the road to sustainable transportation.