Environmental Framework Programme Series nยบ 10, October 2002
Environmental Framework Programme Series • Nº 1, November 2000, “Economic Impact of Environmental Spending and Investment of the Basque Public Authorities” • Nº 2, May 2001, “Ecology Barometer 2001” • Nº 3, October 2001, “The Environment in the Basque Country” • Nº 4, January 2002, “European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development” • Nº 5, February 2002, “Inventory of Hazardous Waste in the Basque Autonomous Community (Outline)” • Nº 6, April 2002, “Cycling Towards Fume-free Cities” • Nº 7, May 2002, “Total Material Requirement of the Basque Autonomous Community. TMR 2002” • Nº 8, July 2002, “Transport and the Environment in the Basque Autonomous Community. TMA Indicators 2002” • Nº 9, August 2002, “Sustainable Development in the Basque Country” • Nº 10, October 2002, “Environmental Indicators 2002”
© IHOBE 2002
Published by: IHOBE -Sociedad Pública de Gestión Ambiental Designed by: Dual XJ - Comunicación & Diseño Basque Translation: Elhuyar English Translation: Chris Pellow Registration nº: BI-2180-02 Reproduction permitted, provided that bibliographical source is cited Printed entirely on recycled paper bleached without chlorine This document is available on the Internet at
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Index
FOREWORD BY THE BASQUE GOVERNMENT MINISTER
5
INTRODUCTION
7
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR HEADLINE ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
9
WATER QUALITY
15 Indicator 1. WATER QUALITY INDEX .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17 Indicator 2. POLLUTANT LOAD IN INLAND AND COASTAL WATERS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
AIR QUALITY
25 Indicator 3. AIR QUALITY INDEX............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Indicator 4. EMISSIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 30
SOIL QUALITY Indicator 5. CONTAMINATED SOIL AREAS INVESTIGATED & REMEDIATED
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................
33 35
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Indicator Indicator Indicator Indicator
37 6. WATER CONSUMPTION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 7. ENERGY CONSUMPTION ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41 8. CONSUMPTION OF MATERIALS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 9. INTENSITY OF ARTIFICIALISATION OF LAND .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47
WASTE
49 Indicator 10. WASTE PRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Indicator 11. WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 53
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS & CLIMATE CHANGE
55 Indicator 12. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 57
BIODIVERSITY & LANDSCAPE
59 Indicator 13. BIODIVERSITY & LANDSCAPE INDEX................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 61
URBAN ENVIRONMENT Indicator Indicator Indicator Indicator
63 14. LOCAL MOBILITY................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65 15. POPULATION EXPOSED TO NOISE ABOVE WHO RECOMMENDED LEVELS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 67 16. URBAN AIR QUALITY .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 17. LOCAL AGENDA 21 SCHEMES AT BASQUE MUNICIPALITIES .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 71
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
73 Indicator 18. INCIDENTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REPERCUSSIONS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75
HEALTH & THE ENVIRONMENT
77 Indicator 19. EFFECTS ON HEALTH RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ...................................................................................................................................................... 79
BUSINESS & THE ENVIRONMENT
83 Indicator 20. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AT COMPANIES ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 85
AUTHORITIES & THE ENVIRONMENT
87 Indicator 21. PUBLIC SECTOR SPENDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 89
ECO-EFFICIENCY INDICATORS
91 Indicator 22. OVERALL & SECTORAL ECO-EFFICIENCY .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 93
CONCLUSIONS APPENDICES
99 111
3
Foreword
Foreword By the Basque Government Minister he Environmental Framework Programme for the Basque Country (2002-2006) – The Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2002-2020) includes a commitment on the part of the Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment to prepare annual reports based on a small number of indicators to mark overall trends in progress towards the main environmental objectives set for the Community. These environmental indicators must also between them show the links between economic growth and the protection of the environment. The report which follows, under the title The Environment in the Basque Country. Environmental Indicators 2002, is the result of that commitment. It offers an overview of the state of environmental affairs in our region, and reflects the imbalances and tendencies which can be observed.
T
Sabin Intxaurraga Basque Government Minister for Land Use and the Environment
All strategies need to be accompanied by indicators through which progress can be gauged. The 22 headline indicators detailed here are intended to provide summarised information on environmentally sustainable development, oriented towards points which are fundamental for the making of policy decisions. Moreover, in the implementation of policies it is important for the public, NGO’s, businesses, etc. to have direct access to relevant information, so that they are encouraged to become involved an co-operate. This document is the first of a series of annual reports on headline environmental indicators which we intend to publish and distribute. It will help us determine whether we are moving in the right direction. If we know where we want to go (thanks to the Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2002-2020), and have a way to check that we are heading in the right direction (i.e. headline environmental indicators), we may get there.
5
Introduction
Introduction "Environmental policy has as yet no well-known and generally accepted indicator of success or failure. Whereas, for example, gross national product, the unemployment rate and the rate of inflation are widely accepted as measures of economic and social development, there is no comparable yardstick for measuring environmental development. If environmental policy wants to get its proper place in the political debate on sustainable development, which embraces ecological, economic and social goals, it should also be possible to describe environmental development with a few key indicators." German Environment Ministry. 1998
n October 2001 the Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment published the document Medio Ambiente en la Comunidad AutĂłnoma del PaĂs Vasco 2001 ["The Environment in the Basque Country 2001"]. This document gives a comprehensive diagnosis of the environment as a system, reveals the situation of the environment and also provides a strategic analysis of the threats and opportunities on the horizon for the environment in the coming years.
I
The Environmental Framework Programme for the BAC (2002-2006) – Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2002-2020) lists the medium and long term objectives set to determine for the first time just what is meant in the Basque Country by environmentally sustainable development. Once a diagnosis was completed and objectives were set, the next step was to measure the progress made, i.e. to learn whether or not we were going in the direction we had set ourselves. To that end the Basque Country set up
four groups of indicators known as "Basic", "Headline", "Integration" and "Sustainability" indicators. The basic indicators answer the questions "what is the situation of the environment?" and "What repercussions do human activities have for the environment?". Numbering around 300, they provide the basis on which the threeyearly report on the State of the Environment in the BAC is drawn up. The headline indicators are listed in this document. They answer the question "what developments and trends are there in the main environmental objectives set?". 22 of these indicators have been established, and they are used here to draw up a report showing simply and rapidly just how the environment is developing in our region, reflecting imbalances and thus helping decisions to be made to correct them. The integration indicators measure the degree to which environmental variables are incorporated into public sector policies, and how closely they fit in with sustainability objectives. Finally, the sustainability indicators reflect how Basque society is developing as a whole, i.e. in economic, social and environmental terms. The EU guideline proposed for indicators of this type envisages a total of 36 indicators covering economic background, employment, innovation, economic reform, social cohesion and environmental matters All the indicators mentioned may, of course, vary over time in terms of their approaches and the sectors covered, depending on the information available and the need for broader analysis.
7
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
"Indicators are commonly understood to serve as a communication tool about the state of a selected topic. There are three basic functions of indicators: simplification, quantification and communication. Indicators generally simplify to make complex phenomena quantifiable, so that information can be communicated" Delbaere, 2002
The objectives of headline environmental indicators are: • To offer clear, simple information to decision-makers and to the general public on the key factors (parameters) which determine the situation or state of the environment. • To indicate to the public and to policy makers whether or not we are moving towards environmental sustainability. • To focus public attention of what environmentally sustainable development means, and to offer an overview of whether we are reducing our consumption of nature (in terms of consumption of resources, emissions, waste dumping, etc.). • To provide support for decision-makers in establishing objectives which can help control environmental policies and identify the areas where most action is required. • To foster public awareness of environmental topics. Headline environmental indicators must therefore be: • Few in number, easily understandable and relevant to policies; • Representative, covering a broad range of environmental topics; • Time-related (annual), technically appropriate and sensitive to change.
8
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Selection Criteria for Headline Environmental Indicators
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Selection Criteria for Headline Environmental Indicators eadline indicators must reflect the conditions which are strategically relevant for the transition to environmentally sustainable development. These indicators are drawn up with reference to the three basic requirements listed in Compromiso por la Sostenibilidad en el País Vasco ["Commitment to Sustainability in the Basque Country"]:
H
• protection of the environment; • efficient use of resources; • guaranteeing the production capabilities of ecosystems. In selecting headline environmental indicators, we emphasised environmental problems on the one hand and the strategic factors underlying those problems on the other, as that is where progress must be made if we are to advance towards sustainability. The indicators selected are the result of exhaustive research and discussion involving experts from various fields and disciplines. This not only ensures scientific rigour and the joining of efforts and experience, but also makes for wider acceptance and involvement when the time comes to collect and review data in the coming years. To be useful, indicators must meet the following criteria: • It must be possible to measure them and analyse them over time. It is important that indicators can be observed in time series. They should also be able to indicate changes in a relatively short period. It should be possible to use indicators to analyse progress over time towards sustainability and to prevent or correct negative trends. • They must be few in number. Users must familiarise themselves with their presentation and meaning, so that they are easily understood by all the players involved. • They must be based on available data whenever possible. Most of the indicators proposed here are based on existing statistical data, but for some such data do not yet exist. However, they are being developed and will be available in the near future. • They must be linked with the objectives set. In this way, indicators can be used as management tools to establish responsibilities for players involved in drawing up and applying policies. • International comparisons must be possible. International efforts in this field to date have centred on developing understandable systems for monitoring progress
10
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
towards sustainability. Germany, Sweden and the UK are leading efforts to develop a small number of strategic environmental indicators. The EU has recently started to develop a small number of indicators known as "headline environmental indicators", all of which have been analysed and taken into account for comparison with our own 22 headline indicators.
Various criteria have been used at international level to select indicators associated with the environmental side of sustainable development. There is no simple, universal method for selecting a large or small number of indicators. There is generally a lack of data on which to base the ideal indicator. Internationally, the tendency in this field is to go for indicators which enable general conclusions to be drawn concerning the influence of human activity on the environment, e.g. in the consumption of material resources. There is also a trend towards indicators in the form of indices, e.g. for biodiversity. We have selected indicators which reflect changes in society from an broad ecological or environmental viewpoint, following the lines laid down in the models drawn up elsewhere. It is important that the headline environmental indicators drawn up should be used to monitor movement towards sustainability, and that they should become a familiar concept. When establishing headline environmental indicators, it was important for us to bear in mind the 5 major environmental goals and the 5 necessary conditions for progress towards sustainability laid down in the Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2002-2020:
GOALS, ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS AND UNDERTAKINGS OF THE BASQUE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2002-2020
BASQUE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY (2002-2020) GOALS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
NECESSARY CONDITIONS
1. 2. 3. 4.
To ensure clean, healthy air, water and soil. Responsible management of natural resources and waste. Protection of nature and biodiversity: a unique asset to be fostered. Balance between territories & mobility: a common approach. Limiting effects on climate change.
Integrating environmental variables into other policies. Improvements in current environmental legislation and its application. Encourage the market to act in an environmentally-friendly way. Enable the public, the authorities and businesses, making them jointly responsible, and modify their behaviour in favour of sustainability. 5. Promote research, technological development and innovation in environmental matters.
GOALS, ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS AND UNDERTAKINGS OF THE BASQUE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2002-2020 ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy water
Ensure clean, healthy air
KEY POINT Are we improving the quality of our rivers and seas?
INDICATOR 1. Water quality index
UNDERTAKINGS • Achieve a good or very good environmental & chemical status of 80% of bodies of surface water by 2012.
Are we reducing pollution in 2. Pollutant loads in inland & our waters? coastal waters
• Reduce total pollutant loads discharged in the BAC into public water courses or the sea/land area by 50% by 2006 from 2001 levels.
Is the quality of the air we breathe improving?
3. Air quality index
• Meet the ambient air quality (immission) requirements laid down by the EU.
Are we polluting the air?
4. Emission of atmospheric pollutants
• Reduce VOC (volatile organic compound) levels from 2000 levels as per emission targets set by the EU by 2010. • Cut SO2 emissions from 2000 levels as per EU targets by 2010.
Ensure clean, healthy soil
What progress are we making in remediating contaminated soil?
5. Contaminated soil areas investigated & recovered
• Remediate 20% of the publicly owned contaminated soil areas existing in the BAC in 2001 by 2006.
Responsible management of natural resources & waste:
Can we cut water consumption? Are we moving in the right direction?
6. Water consumption
• Reverse the upward trend in water consumption per capita and cut water losses in total supply by 20% in both high & low pressure lines by 2012, taking 2002 as the base year.
How much energy do we consume? Can we improve our efficiency?
7. Energy consumption: a. Actual consumption b. Energy intensity
• Contribute by 2012 to the fulfilment of the targets on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions agreed in Kyoto.
Are we cutting our consumption of material resources?
8. Consumption of materials: a. TMR (total material requirement b. Material efficiency
• Hold the per capita TMR at 1998 levels to 2006.
9. Intensity of artificialisation of land
• Prevent land consumption by low density development by introducing higher building densities on the most suitable land areas as per local land use regulations.
– De-link consumption of resources (water, energy, land, materials) from economic growth
– Improve efficiency in the use of natural Are we consuming our resources natural soil?
Prevent waste production Manage final waste properly
Are we reducing the amount 10. Total waste production of waste we produce?
• Have per capita municipal waste production stabilised at 2001 levels by 2012. • Reduce hazardous waste production by 20% of 2000 figures by 2010 and 50% by 2020.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR HEADLINE ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
11
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Responsible waste management
KEY POINT Are we recycling more and more?
INDICATOR 11. Waste management
UNDERTAKINGS • Reduce municipal waste dumped to 75% of the total waste produced by 2006 • Increase valorisation rate of hazardous waste by 50% of 2000 figures by 2006.
Limit influence on climate change
To what extent are we contributing to climate change?
Protection of nature Are we conserving our natural heritage and & biodiversity
12. Greenhouse gas emissions: • Contribute by 2012 to compliance with targets for cutting a. Amount of emissions greenhouse gas emissions agreed in Kyoto (Spain +15% from b. Emissions & GDP 2008 to 2012 taking 1990 as base)
13. Landscape biodiversity index
landscape?
• Establish environmental corridors in the BAC by 2006. • Draw up catalogue of unique & outstanding landscapes of the BAC by 2003. • Review & draw up map of habitats of community interest (priority habitats & habitats of interest) by 2003, along with habitats of interest for the BAC no included in the appendices to Directive 92/43.
Balance between territory & mobility: a common approach
Is the demand for mobility being met in an environmentally sustainable fashion?
14. Local mobility
• Get passengers to change from private to public transport as an objective of the future Sustainable Transport Plan. • Increase public transport’s share of total passenger transport in the main urban areas of the BAC by 10% of 2001 figures by 2006. • Cut the use of road transport, transferring to rail, shipping and public road transport for passengers so that road transport’s share of the total is no greater in 2012 than in 2001.
Ensure a healthy urban environment
How much noise do we suffer? Is it healthy?
15. Population exposed to noise above WHO recommended levels
• Draw up a diagnostic study of the population exposed to high noise levels and a strategy for reducing those levels by 2004.
Ensure clean, healthy air
Is urban air quality improving?
16. Urban air quality
• Meet the air quality (immission) targets set by the EU.
Balance between territory and mobility: a common approach
What progress are our municipalities making towards sustainable development?
17. Local Agenda 21 schemes in Basque municipalities
• Ensure that all municipalities of the BAC with more than 5,000 inhabitants (64) have individual or district Local Agenda 21 schemes designed by 2006.
Ensure clean, healthy air, water and soil
• Ensure that all town halls governing more than 10,000 people have a technical staff member responsible for the environment by 2006. By 2012 such persons should be in place individually or on a shared basis at town halls governing more than 5,000 people.
How many incidents causing 18. Incidents with environmental damage are environmental there? repercussions Does the environment have a negative effect on our health?
• Implement an effective, co-ordinated monitoring plan to prevent and combat environmental offences. Programmes for 20032007/2007-2012.
19. Effect on health of • Have a system for monitoring environmental risks to health in exposure to environmental place by 2003 that indicates the intensity, distribution and factors: development of those risks and assesses the specific health risks - Intake of heavy metals involved. through diet • Have a system in place by 2003 for monitoring the adverse effects - Toxicity & infection from on health originating in the environment which can measure food & water changes and trends in certain causes of morbidity and mortality which are particularly closely related to environmental risks. • Set in place a health risk assessment system for risks arising from exposure through diet to persistent chemicals originating in the environment. • Set up an integrated plan for the prevention and monitoring of the leading infections from foodstuffs by 2006, covering the process from primary production to end consumers.
12
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
HEADLINE ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy air, water and soil
KEY POINT What progress are Basque companies making in integrating environmental concerns into their day to day work?
INDICATOR
UNDERTAKINGS
20. Environmental management systems at companies
• Have 50 Basque companies with EMAS certificates by 2006. • Have 10 Basque companies draw up GRI sustainability reports by 2006, and 40 by 2012. • Reach 600 companies with certified environmental management systems (EMAS or ISO 14001) by 2006 and 1000 by 2012.
Integrate environmental variables into other policies
How much do the Basque 21. Public sector spending on public authorities invest in environmental protection protecting the environment?
• Achievement of the undertakings listed in the Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2002-2020.
Achieve greater well-being with less environmental resources
Are we de-linking the growth of our economy from negative environmental impacts?
• Achievement of the undertakings listed in the Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2002-2020.
22. Overall and sectoral ecoefficiency: - Economy in general - Transport - Industry - Primary sector - Residential sector - Energy processing
LIST OF HEADLINE ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS Water quality
1. Water quality index 2. Pollutant loads in inland & coastal waters
Air quality
3. Air quality index 4. Emissions of atmospheric pollutants
Soil quality Consumption of natural resources
5. Contaminated soil areas investigated & recovered 6. 7. 8. 9.
Water consumption Energy consumption Consumption of materials Intensity of artificialisation of land
Waste
10. Waste production 11. Waste management
Greenhouse gas emissions & climate change Biodiversity & landscape Urban environment
12. Amount of greenhouse gas emissions
Environmental risks Health & the environment Business & the environment Authorities & the environment Ecoefficiency indicators (de-linking)
18. Incidents with environmental repercussions
13. Biodiversity & landscape index 14. 15. 16. 17.
Local mobility Population exposed to noise above WHO recommended levels Urban air quality Local Agenda 21 schemes in Basque municipalities
19. Effects on health-related to exposure to environmental factors 20. Environmental management systems at companies 21. Public sector spending on environmental protection 22. Overall & sectoral ecoefficiency: Economy in general, transport, industry, primary sector, residential sector, energy processing
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR HEADLINE ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
13
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
The "smileys" in the boxes by each indicator provide a quick check on their status:
Quality of information: High
Positive tendency, moving towards the target. Some progress but not enough to achieve targets, or variable tendency in the relevant indicator. Negative tendency, moving away from the target. No data available. Assessments are based on the whole period covered by the indicator.
14
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Medium Low
Water Quality
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Water Quality ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy water
KEY POINT
ASSESSMENT
Are we improving the quality of our 1. Water quality index rivers and seas? Are we reducing pollution in our waters?
he use to which water resources can be put depends on their quality. Water for drinking, recreational, industrial and agricultural use must meet certain quality requirements. Maintaining aquatic ecosystems also calls for certain quality standards.
T
Water quality is affected by discharges of a many different substances, particularly organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides, etc. Many of these substances get into water as a result of human activities, particularly involving
16
INDICATOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
2. Pollutant loads in inland & coastal waters
municipal and industrial waste dumps, arable and cattle farming, etc. Water pollution can come from point sources or diffuse sources. The main point sources are municipal and industrial waste dumps, while diffuse pollution results mainly from farming (fertilisers, pesticides, liquid manure) and leachates from dump sites.
Indicator 1. WATER QUALITY INDEX
INDICATOR 1. Water Quality Index
From 1998 to 2001 the trend was for the number of river sampling stations classed as "poor" to decrease (from 58% in 1998 to 45% in 2001), and for the number classed as "good" to increase (20% in 1998, 30% in 2001). Estuary and coastal waters also showed a slight improvement on earlier years in 2000 and 2001, with the number of sampling stations with no pollution rising from 18% in 1998 to 25% in 2001.
The quality of inland and sea water in the Basque Country is monitored by the Monitoring Network for Water Quality and the Environmental Condition of Rivers and by the Surveillance and Monitoring Network for the Quality of Coastal Waters. In both cases "water quality" includes all the factors which together reflect the operation of aquatic ecosystems.
• Industrial effluents, exacerbated by accidental discharges resulting in the death of water animals on several stretches of the river network. • Crop farming, resulting in increased concentrations of nitrates and other compounds in intensively farmed areas.
This approach is in line with Directive 2000/60/EC, which establishes a Community framework for action on water policy . Three types of indicator are involved:
• The condition of river habitats, with pressure from farming and urban areas often resulting in the loss of riverside woodland, damage to river banks and the loss of the natural structure of river courses.
• Physical & chemical indicators. These reveal the composition of the water and sediment, the presence of pollutants, etc.
• Intensive use which, in extreme cases such as some hydroelectric power stations, can result in rivers carrying very little water.
• Hydrological & morphological indicators. These cover such aspects as water extraction and the maintenance of environmental flow rates, the presence of barriers and the condition of riverside woodland, among others. • Biological indicators. These cover the characteristics of communities of fish, invertebrates, associated plant life, etc.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Reduce dumping of hazardous and pollutant substances. – Remediate or clean up degraded ground and surface water.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Inland Water: Rivers The main negative factors affecting the condition of rivers in the Basque Country are: • Insufficient urban waste water treatment (or none at all) in some areas of river basins.
The Monitoring Network for Water Quality and the Environmental Condition of Rivers in the Basque Country was set up in 1993. The data obtained since then from this network and from provincial councils can be summed up as follows: • Wherever drainage and sewerage infrastructures have been installed or renovated, improvements in the physical and chemical quality of water have resulted. In most cases this recovery of physical and chemical quality has been accompanied by a gradual recovery of biological communities in rivers. • In some cases the general improvement in physical and chemical quality has so far proved insufficient to enable the aquatic ecosystem to recover, due either to insufficient treatment processes in the relevant river basins or to the influence of occasional accidental discharges. • On those reaches where no treatment work was done between 1993 and 2000, or treatment was already completed, no clear trend emerges. Variations in water quality parameters from year to year are often caused by rainfall patterns, which condition the amount of water carried by rivers and their ability to dilute pollutant loads.
WATER QUALITY
17
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
There is hope for the future as regards the condition of rivers. The major efforts made to clean up urban and industrial waste water have begun to produce positive results.
The table below shows the 92 sampling stations operating at the end of 2001, and the annual scores for the 64 stations which have been operating non-stop over the past four years and will continue to operate in the future.
Significant reaches of some rivers remain in poor condition, especially in the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal, Deba and Oria basins. However, gradual improvement can be expected once the remaining installation and/ or renovation work on sewerage and drainage facilities under the Master Plan for Sewerage in the Basque Country is completed, and as specific programmes to reduce pollution, etc. are implemented.
The index used to measure water quality is the BMWP. Most of the stations selected are on the axes of the main rivers, and thus provide a true picture of which rivers receive the greatest impact from human activity. The results for the past few years reveal a gradual decrease in the number of sampling stations classed as "poor" and an increase in those classed as "good". In 2001 the
RIVERS (Annual score as per BMWP index) Basin
River
Station 1998 1999 2000 2001
Artibai
Artibai
Baia
Baia
Barbadun
Galdames Goritza Merkadillo Bidasoa Atxispe Butroe
A-062 A-202 BA-258 BA-558 MGA-075 MG-045 M-190 BI-555 BAT-060 B-062 B-226 D-296 D-460 DEG-068 DO-095 EG-146 EG-370 NA-260 IA-120 IA-222 AS-045 AS-160 IE-140 GA-095 KAH-100 I-140 I-160 I-271 I-394 KA-326 KA-372 KA-517
Bidasoa Butroe
Deba
Deba
Ega
Ego OĂąati Ega
Ibaizabal
Altube Arratia Asua Elorrio Galindo HerrerĂas Ibaizabal
Kadagua
2 4 1 6 1 3 1 2 3 1 5 5 5 6 5 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 5 1 4 4 4 5 4 6 4
1 4 2 6 2 2 3 3 2 1 1 5 5 6 4 4 3 4 3 6 4 5 4 5 1 4 5 5 6 4 6 5
3 4 2 5 1 3 2 3 3 3 6 5 5 6 4 4 4 3 4 6 5 6 4 5 1 5 5 6 6 4 3 4
1 3 2 6 1 3 2 1 3 1 5 5 5 6 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 6 3 5 1 5 6 5 6 4 3 4
Basin
River
Ibaizabal
Nerbioi
Inglares
Inglares
Karrantza Lea
Karrantza Lea
Oiartzun Oka
Oiartzun Golako Oka
Omecillo
Omecillo
Oria
Oria
Urola
Urola
Urumea
Urumea
Zadorra
Aiuda Zadorra
Station 1998 1999 2000 2001 N-120 N-258 N-338 N-520 IN-175 IN-235 K-130 L-040 L-112 L-196 OI-102 OKGO-120 OK-045 OK-114 OM-080 OM-244 OM-380 O-262 O-424 O-490 U-160 U-210 U-490 UR-320 UR-434 ZAY-018 ZAY-372 Z-060 Z-160 Z-336 Z-576 Z-828
BMWP Biotic Index 1
Very clean water
4
Polluted water
2
Non polluted water
5
Very polluted water
3
Water with some effects of pollution
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
6
Extremely polluted water Estimates based on prior data
6 4 6 5 3 4 3 2 2 2 5 3 3 5 2 3 4 3 5 4 6 6 3 2 4 3 2 6 4 3 5 4
6 4 6 5 3 3 3 1 2 1 3 2 2 6 3 3 4 5 5 4 6 6 3 3 6 3 3 5 4 3 4 4
6 4 6 5 3 4 3 1 2 3 4 1 3 6 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 6 3 2 5 3 2 5 3 4 5 5
6 5 6 6 3 3 2 1 2 4 5 1 1 5 1 1 4 4 5 4 5 6 5 1 3 1 2 5 3 3 5 3
Indicator 1. WATER QUALITY INDEX
QUALITY OF BODIES OF INLAND SURFACE WATER (BMWP Index) Nยบ of stations
100%
92%
80% % of stations
64%
92% Clean or non polluted
82%
60%
Some effects of pollution
40% Polluted, very polluted or extremely polluted
20% 0%
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
percentage of stations with water classed as "very clean", "non polluted" or "some effects of pollution" exceeded those classed as "polluted", "very polluted" or "extremely polluted" for the first time.
pling stations in the Surveillance and Monitoring Network for the Quality of Coastal Waters and the 17 estuary stations which have operated non-stop over the last four years and will continue to operate in the future.
Coastal Waters
The changes in the percentage of estuarine and coastal stations classed as per biotic index over the years are shown in the graph below.
The table below shows the annual scores for the biotic coefficient1 of estuarine and coastal waters at the 13 sam-
The results for 2000 and 2001 indicate that the percentage of non polluted water has stabilised. This is an improve-
1 See Appendix 4.
WATER QUALITY
19
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
ESTUARIES & COAST (Annual score as per biotic coefficient) Basin
Type
Artibai
Estuary Coast Estuary
Bidasoa
Butroi
Deba Lea Mercadillo Nerbioi
Coast Estuary Coast Estuary Coast Estuary Coast Estuary Estuary
Station 1998 1999 2000 2001 E-A10 L-A10 E-BI10 E-BI20 L-BI10 E-B10 L-B10 L-B20 E-D10 L-D10 E-L10 L-L10 E-M10 E-N10 E-N20
4 2 3 3 2 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 1 5 3
3 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 3
4 1 3 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 1 2 5 2
3 1 3 3 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 5 3
Basin
Type
Nerbioi
Estuary Coast
Oiartzun
Estuary
Oka
Coast Estuary
Oria Urola Urumea
Coast Estuary Coast Estuary Coast Estuary Coast
Station 1998 1999 2000 2001 E-N30 L-N10 L-N20 E-OI10 E-OI20 L-OI10 E-OK10 E-OK20 L-OK10 E-O10 L-O10 E-U10 L-U10 E-UR10 L-UR20
2 1 2 4 4 2 3 1 1 3 2 3 2 4 4
2 1 2 4 3 2 3 2 1 3 2 3 2 2 4
2 2 1 4 4 2 3 3 1 3 1 3 2 2 3
2 1 2 4 4 2 3 2 1 3 1 3 2 3 3
Biotic coefficient 1
Non polluted
3
Medium polluted
2
Slightly polluted
4
Heavily polluted
5
Extremely polluted
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
QUALITY OF ESTUARINE & COASTAL WATERS (biotic coefficient) 100% Non polluted
% of stations
80% 60% Slightly polluted
40% Medium, heavily or extremely polluted
20% 0%
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ment on the results for previous years (25% in 2001 compared to 18% in 1998). The quality of the water arriving from the main river and its tributaries is highly important to the quality of the environment in estuaries and coastal areas, as are discharges in the estuary itself, work in nearby areas, accidental discharges and the weather prior to sampling.
20
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
The biggest problems arise in transitional waters close to discharge and dump sites and to work sites which affect water quality. Coastal waters maintain high quality standards, reflecting the lesser degree of influence of human activity on their quality. The drainage and sewerage work currently ongoing and the closure of businesses responsible for pollution are
Indicator 1. WATER QUALITY INDEX
both extremely significant in the improvements observed in some estuaries and river basins.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment. WATER QUALITY http://www.euskadi.net/vima_aguas/calidadaguas_c.htm.
• Achieve a good or very good environmental & chemical status of 80% of bodies of surface water by 2012.
WATER QUALITY
21
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
INDICATOR 2. Pollutant Load in Inland & Coastal Waters The trend of pollutant loads has been generally positive in recent years, thanks to the installation of drainage and sewerage infrastructures.
The biggest build-up of pollutant loads is in the lower part of river basins: not only do discharges from the rest of the basin accumulate there, but also most human activity and therefore most discharges are concentrated in the valleys there. Pollutant loads are not a direct reflection of the discharges received by river basins, as some pollutants become trapped in sediment and river ecosystems have a considerable capacity to clean themselves up. The main pollutant loads are the following:
Pollution from Nutrients Total N (nitrogen) and total P (phosphorous) are the major nutrient measurements. Concentrations of these nutrients in water are considerably higher where there is human activity. High levels of nutrients in water lead to eutrophication and rapid loss of oxygen. Most nitrogen is in the form of nitrates (NO3-N) and ammonia (NH4-N). The main source of nitrates in water is diffuse pollution from farming. Nitrate concentrations can vary considerably from year to year depending on rainfall, regardless of whether there is any variation in human activity. Pollution by nitrates is less harmful in terms of environmental impact than pollution from ammonia or phospho-
rous. Ammonia in rivers usually comes from effluent from urban sewerage and treatment systems and from run-off. The phosphorous load increases with human activity in river basins. In urban waste water the main sources of phosphorous are detergents, while in industrial waste water they are phosphatised fertiliser plants.
Heavy Metals Heavy metal pollution in river courses comes mainly from industry, though other sources include urban effluents, run-off and atmospheric deposition. The most dangerous heavy metals for human health are mercury, cadmium and lead. Widely used metals such as zinc and copper must also be considered if they are present in sufficient amounts.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Cut discharges of hazardous and pollutant substances. – Remediate or treat degraded ground and surface water.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS The data available are for all rivers on the Bay of Biscay watershed as a whole. Analyses take 1998 as a reference, and are corrected for annual variations in the amount of water carried 2. In the case of nutrients, phosphorous levels (Total P and PO4-P) increased in 2001. In all other cases the trend is clearly towards lower nutrient inflows. The trend in recent years has been positive, with improvements in water quality thanks to the construction of drainage and sewerage infrastructures in the lower reaches of river basins. The sewerage network will soon
2 Full series of data on pollutant loads in circulation in rivers on the Mediterranean watershed are not currently available.
22
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Indicator 2. POLLUTANT LOAD IN INLAND & COASTAL WATERS
CHANGES IN POLLUTANT LOADS (nutrients)
CHANGES IN POLLUTANT LOADS (heavy metals)
140
140
120
120
100
100
80
Total P: -33%
60
PO4-P: -39%
40
Total N: -62% Nitrates: -75%
20
1998 = 100
1998 = 100
Copper: +36%
80
Mercury: -37%
60
Cadmium: -38%
40
Zinc: -61%
20 Lead: -88%
Ammonia: -93%
0 1998
1999
2000
2001
0 1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
reach most of those living in coastal areas of the Basque Country.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS
As far as heavy metals are concerned, cadmium and mercury levels in practically all analyses are below the detectable limits for the instruments used. A 36% increase in copper is observed from 1998 to 2001. In the cases of zinc and lead the trend is clearly towards lower levels.
• Reduce the total load of pollutants discharged in the BAC into publicly owned waters, coastline and tidal waters by 50% by 2006 in comparison with 2001 levels.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Medium
Basque Government Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. WATER QUALITY http://www.euskadi.net/vima_aguas/calidadaguas_c.htm
WATER QUALITY
23
Air Quality
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Air Quality ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy air
KEY POINT
ASSESSMENT
Is the quality of the air we breathe 3. Air quality index improving? Are we polluting the air?
uman beings need to breathe good quality air at all times in order to survive. Traffic, the burning of fossil fuels and industrial activity all pollute the atmosphere, leading to serious repercussions for human health and for ecosystems. Surprisingly, all this damage is done by substances which make up just 0.1% of the atmosphere. Pollution is in fact the result of minute local alterations in gas concentrations.
H
26
INDICATOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
4. Emission of atmospheric pollutants
The main environmental problems associated with atmospheric emissions are damage to human health and the degradation of natural ecosystems, cultural heritage sites and crops. These effects generally extend across national frontiers, as atmospheric pollutants may be carried long distances on the air.
Indicator 3. AIR QUALITY INDEX
INDICATOR 3. Air Quality Index No "bad air days" were detected in 2000. In terms of SO2, air quality has improved considerably since 1996. In terms of NO2 there has been some improvement in recent years, with less stations now detecting annual average NO2 levels beyond current limits. Overall levels of particles in suspension have also improved appreciably in the last two years.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
Air quality in the Basque Country is measured by a network of control and monitoring stations set up under Directive 96/62 on Assessment and Management of Air Quality. The territory of the BAC is divided into zones on the basis of administrative and geographical areas, with data on population and surface area also taken into account. This results in a number of sub-areas, each of which has its own remote stations equipped with automatic sensors to measure air quality in real time.
– Reduce emissions of pollutants as a whole.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS In recent years many companies have closed down as a result of economic recession, and measures have been implemented to palliate atmospheric pollution. Between them, these factors have enabled long-standing high levels of pollution to be greatly reduced.
Each zone is rated for overall air quality on a scale of five levels: "very good", "good", "moderate", "poor" and "very poor". The contaminants measured in drawing up this quality index in 2000 were sulphur dioxide (SO2), total suspended particles (TSP) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In 2001 two more substances were added to the list: ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO).
In 2000 "moderate" air quality levels were detected in Oria (7 days), Bajo Nervión (4 days), Llanada Alavesa (2 days), Alto Nervión (2 days) and Deba (1 day). On the remaining days air quality was "good" or "very good". No "moderate" days at all were recorded at Donostialdea or Ibaizabal.
AIR QUALITY MEASURED IN NUMBER OF DAYS PER ZONE. 2000
ZONING
400 345
350 294
300
284
248
250 Nº of days
1 Alto Nervión 2 Bajo Nervión 3 Deba 4 Donostialdea 5 Ibaizabal 6 Oria 7 Llanada Alavesa
220 190
200
188 175
175 141
150 113
100
74
69
Very good
50 0
4
Bajo Nervión
1
Deba
2
0
2
Alto Donostialdea Llanada Nervión Alavesa
Good
17
7
0
Ibaizabal
Moderate
Oria
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
AIR QUALITY
27
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Nº OF DAYS & DAILY AVERAGE READINGS > 75 µg/Nm3 for SO2
Nº OF STATIONS WITH ANNUAL AVERAGE READINGS > 40 µg/Nm3 for NO2 35
18 16 14
26
12
25 10
10
10
Nº of stations
Nº of days
12
8 6
3 days, upper threshold level
4
16 Nº of stations exceeding threshold level
15 9
6
5
1998
1999
2000
5 3
0
1997
27
20
5 1996
25
23
10
2 0
Total Nº of stations
30
14
0
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
Concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the air have dropped to around one tenth of the levels recorded in the 1970’s. This is due mainly to the close-down of companies using obsolete technologies, the use of fuels with low sulphur content, the spread of natural gas as an alternative fuel and policies to encourage cleaner production processes.
and traffic, and particle levels can also be increased by activities such as construction, quarrying and natural drift (dust from the Sahara). The highest levels are detected in urban areas with high traffic levels. The number of stations with annual average levels of NO2 higher than the annual limit for the protection of human health (40 µg/Nm3) to be met by January 1st 2010 has decreased somewhat in recent years. In 1997 5 of the 16 stations analysed were over the threshold level. In 2001 the figure was also five, but of a total of 27 stations.
In 1996-1999 it was common to find at least 10 days on which the daily average level of SO2 in the air exceeded the upper threshold level of 75 µg/Nm3 laid down in European Directive 1999/30. In 2000 no daily average levels exceeding that threshold were detected.
Total levels of particles in suspension have decreased considerably in recent years, with only one annual figure above the guideline level of 60 µg/Nm3 laid down in Royal Decree 1613/85 being detected.
For total suspended particles (TSP) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) the trend is less clear: levels have dropped, but less sharply. These pollutants are produced by both industry
EXCEEDENCES OF THE 60 µg/Nm3 GUIDELINE LEVEL FOR TSP (RD 1613/85) 20 15 10 5
4
5
2
0
1996
1997
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
28
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
1998
1
1
1999
2000
Indicator 3. AIR QUALITY INDEX
AIR QUALITY LIMIT LEVELS FOR THE PROTECTION OF ECOSYSTEMS AND/ OR HUMAN HEALTH (Directive 1999/30 & Royal Decree 1613/85) POLLUTANT PST NO2 SO2
FIGURE
COMPLIANCE DATE
3
Current
3
1.1.2010
60 µg/Nm (guideline) 40 µg/Nm (annual average)
19.7.2001
3
20 µg/Nm (annual average) 125 µg/Nm daily limit for protection of human health
1.1.2005
75 µg/Nm3 upper threshold level (60% of daily limit level). This level should not be exceeded more than 3 times per calendar year
19.7.2001
3
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. AIR
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS
QUALITY SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING NETWORK http://www.euskadi.net/vima_aire/red_vigilancia_c.htm
• Meet the targets for ambient air quality (immission) laid down by the EU.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Medium
AIR QUALITY
29
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
INDICATOR 4. Emissions of Atmospheric Pollutants Between 1990 and 2000 emissions of acidifying substances increased by 2.2%, while emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors increased by 3.2% A downward trend was observed in NOx, SO2 and VOC’s until 1998, when there was an upturn, with increases of more than 30% in NOx and SO2.
Emission of Acidifying Substances into the Atmosphere Deposits of acidifying substances in soil and water are largely the result of emissions into the atmosphere of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and ammonia (NH3) originating from human activities. The biggest sources of these pollutants are the consumption of fossil fuels in energy production, transport and agriculture. Acid pollution is not just a local process: pollutants are dispersed and carried on the air and may affect areas at great distances from the point of emission through acid rain. The effects of acidification can be seen in defoliation and reduced vitality in trees, the reduction of fishery resources and drops in biodiversity in lakes, rivers and streams, and in changes in soil composition. These effects on ecosys-
tems are accompanied by corrosion of materials, monuments and buildings. There is also increasing concern about the effects on health of by-products arising from secondary reactions of these pollutants.
Emission of Tropospheric Ozone Precursors Tropospheric ozone precursors are the substances involved in the formation of ozone in the lower levels of the atmosphere. The main precursors are nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4). Ozone is an oxidant which can be harmful to human health. Epidemiological and toxicological tests show that the exceedance of threshold levels during periods of summer smog can entail health problems, particularly inflammation and deterioration of lung functions. Exposure to ozone can cause foliar lesions in plants and reduce productivity in crops and woodland.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Promote clean production systems. – Reduced emissions of pollutants as a whole. – Reduce the risk of emissions.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Emissions of acidifiers have increased by 2.2% since 1990. From 1990 to 1997 there was a major drop in their emission thanks to the reduction of the sulphur content of fossil fuels. However, the tendency has changed in recent years as a result of big increases in NO2 emissions (especially in the transport sector) and, to a lesser extent, in SO2 emissions.
30
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Indicator 4. EMISSIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS
EMISSIONS OF ACIDIFYING SUBSTANCES (tonnes of acidification equivalent) 3,000 Total
Tonnes equivalent
2,500 2,000
NOx
1,500 500 0
SO2
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
EMISSIONS OF TROPOSPHERIC OZONE PRECURSORS (tonnes of TOP equivalent) 140,000 Total
Tonnes equivalent
120,000 100,000 NOx
80,000 60,000 40,000
VOC’s
20,000 CO
0 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
From 1990 to 2000 emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors increased by 3.2%. The trend was very similar to that shown by acidifying substances, with reductions from 1998-1998 and a reversal of the trend in 1999 and 2000. As with acidifying substances, the main culprit of this reversal is nitrogen oxide from transport. Lesser contributions also come from VOC emissions (from transport and other sectors) and CO from industry and transport. An analysis of the trends in the various atmospheric pollutants shows a drop in amounts up to 1998, followed by
an upturn from 1998 to 2000, with increases of over 30% in NOx and SO2 associated with combustion processes. Taking the ceilings on emission laid down in Directive 2001/81 for Spain and Spanish emission levels in 1990 as reference values, the following cuts have been deemed necessary, to be achieved by 2010: NOx - 27%, SO2 - 64% and VOC’s 65%. Data from the BAC for 1990-2000 on these three pollutants show a trend away from these targets, particularly in recent years.
AIR QUALITY
31
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
NOx EMISSIONS
VOC EMISSIONS
130
130
120
120
120
110
110
NOx +21%
100
110 SO2 -21%
100
100
90
90
80
80
80
70
Target for Spain by 2010: -27%
60 50
1990 = 100
90
1990 = 100
1990 = 100
SO2 EMISSIONS
130
70 60
70 60
50
50
40
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
0
Target for Spain by 2010: -64% 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
VOC -23%
30
Target for Spain by 2010: -65%
20 10 0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment. Note: The emissions of NOx, SO2 & VOC’s dealt with here are from the BAC. The targets are those set for the whole of Spain.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Reduce emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) from 20003 levels as per the emission targets set by the EU by 2010.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Basque Gov. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. AIR & NOISE http://www.euskadi.net/vima_aire/indice_c.htm
• Reduce emissions of SO2 from 2000 levels as per the targets set by the EU by 2010.
3 The ceilings on emission set for Spain under Directive 2001/81 are 746,000 tonnes for SO2, 847,000 tonnes for NO2, 662,000 tonnes for VOC’s and 353,000 tonnes for NH3.
32
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Soil Quality
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Soil Quality ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy soil
KEY POINT What progress are we making in remediating contaminated soil?
f the soil is to perform the many functions required of it, it must be kept in good condition. The soil is under increasing threat from a range of damaging human activities. Among the threats facing it are erosion, reduction of organic matter, diffuse and local pollution, sealing, compacting, loss of biodiversity and salinisation. The problem is made worse when more than one of these processes are involved.
I
Agricultural output depends on the soil, which it affects in two ways: some farming methods degrade the soil, while others actually help protect it. There are several agrienvironmental measures which help increase organic matter in the soil, reinforce biodiversity and reduce erosion, diffuse pollution and compacting. These measures
34
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
5. Contaminated soil areas investigated & recovered.
include support for environmentally-friendly farming, scaling down the use of pesticides, using integrated crop management, managing low-intensity grazing systems and cutting back the intensity of cattle farming. Infrastructure development and transportation cause problems for the soil in the form of sealing, pollution and erosion. Industry can also cause local soil contamination due to unsuitable production processes or poor waste management, and diffuse contamination due to pollutants emitted into and carried on the air and in water. Further headline indicators need to be developed in the future to provide an optimum description of soil quality, including factors such as changes in land use and erosion along with pollution.
Indicator 5. CONTAMINATED SOIL AREAS INVESTIGATED AND REMEDIATED
INDICATOR 5. Contaminated Soil Areas Investigated and Remediated Between 1990 and 2001, 84 potentially contaminated sites totalling 450 hectares were investigated, and remediation work was done on 38 sites totalling 192 hectares.
The entry of pollutants into the soil can result in damage to the soil itself, in the loss of certain functions and in water pollution. Above certain levels, the presence of pollutants in the soil can have a range of negative consequences for the food chain and, as a result, for human health, ecosystems and other natural resources.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS
Local soil contamination is generally linked with mining, industrial facilities and dump sites, both active and disused. The main risks associated with mining are the storage of sludge, the production of acidic mine water and the use of certain chemical reagents. Operational and disused industrial plants can be major points of soil contamination. In dump sites, leachates can affect the surrounding soil and the substrate, from where they can pass into ground and surface water.
Around 7000 potentially contaminated sites have been identified, covering a total of around 7500 hectares, i.e. around 1% of the land area of the Basque Country. Between 1990 and 2001 84 potentially contaminated sites were investigated, totalling close to 450 hectares.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS
– Reduce discharges of contaminants as a whole at source. – Remediate contaminated soil areas.
The actions of the Basque public authorities in regard to the problem of contaminated soil centre on two areas: identification and investigation of potentially contaminated sites and remediation of contaminated land.
Remediation work has been done at 38 of these potentially contaminated sites, totalling almost 192 hectares. 18 of these sites are publicly owned.
• Recover 20% of the publicly owned contaminated soil areas in the BAC by 2006, based on 2001 levels. QUALITY OF INFORMATION: High
POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED SOIL AREAS INVESTIGATED 90
500 Nº of sites
80
400
70
50
Surface area
40
200
Nº of sites
Hectares
60 300
30 20
100
10 0
0 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
SOIL QUALITY
35
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
CONTAMINATED SOIL AREAS REMEDIATED 250
40 35
Hectares
150
Target for BAC by 2006: 34 publicly owned sites remediated
100
Nยบ of publicly owned sites remediated Cumulative surface area
50 0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
IHOBE. CONTAMINATED SOIL http://www.ihobe.net/suelos/suelos.htm
36
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2006
30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Nยบ of sites
Nยบ of sites remediated
200
Consumption of Natural Resources
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Consumption of Natural Resources ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Responsible management of natural resources & waste: - De-link consumption of resources (water, energy, land, materials) from economic growth - Improve efficiency in the use of natural resources
KEY POINT
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
Can we cut water consumption? Are 6. Water consumption we moving in the right direction? How much energy do we consume? 7. Energy consumption: Can we improve our efficiency? a. Actual consumption b. Energy intensity Are we cutting our consumption of 8. Consumption of materials: material resources? a. TMR (total material requirement) b. Material efficiency Are we consuming our natural soil? 9. Intensity of artificialisation of land
he socio-economic system requires a constant flow of air, water, food, raw materials and fuel from the environment, and results in the constant emission back into the environment of waste and pollutants. The limits on the growth of the system are established by the capability of environmental sources to provide that flow or resources and energy, and the capability of environmental sinks to absorb pollution and waste.
T
If the socio-economic system is to be in balance with the environment, the overall flows of material and energy must meet the following conditions: • The rate of consumption of renewable resources must not exceed their rate of regeneration; • the rate at which non renewable resources are used must not exceed the rate at which renewable substitutes are developed; and • the rate at which pollutants and waste are emitted must not exceed the capability of the environment to assimilate them. The main opportunity open to the Basque Country over the next ten years will be to produce more well-being by using more human resources and less natural resources. Economic growth must be de-linked from the use of resources and from pollution if sustainable growth is to be achieved. A transformation can and must be brought about which can reduce the use of natural resources, increase productivity and thus generate less environmental
38
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
impact in all sectors of the economy throughout the lifecycle of products and services. Responsible consumption of resources entails major advantages: • reduction of waste production and discharges into the environment; • no depletion of renewable resources, as natural rates of renewal are maintained; and • economic benefits: Using existing resources more efficiently is usually cheaper than purchasing and using new ones. Avoiding pollution usually works out cheaper than cleaning up afterwards.
Indicator 6. WATER CONSUMPTION
INDICATOR 6. Water Consumption Water consumption rose by 18% from 1996 to 1999. Between them, industry and services account for 46% of consumption, and home use for 41%.
Adequate management to ensure supplies of water is essential if human activity and ecosystems are to be sustained. The amount of water available to a region depends on rainfall and on the net carrying capacity of its rivers and aquifers. Water stress occurs when demand for water outstrips available supplies over a period of time, and when water use is limited due to poor quality. Water must be available not just to meet human supply needs but also to ensure what is known as the "ecological flow" (the minimum flow of water required for a river to sustain life) to conserve biodiversity and the dynamics of the biological communities in each stretch of a river. For water consumption to be sustainable, a balance must be struck between demand and availability.
Ecological Demand for Water: • To maintain life. Water is required for all biological processes. If it is not available in sufficient quantity or quality, the aquatic and land-based ecosystems on which human beings depend for survival will be damaged.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES Water Demand for Human Use: • Each of us needs around five litres of water a day to meet basic needs for drinking, washing & cooking. • To enjoy reasonable quality of life and good health in the community, each of us needs around 80 litres per day to wash, clean and evacuate waste. The quantity and quality of potable water available are vital matters for public health. • Water is needed to generate and maintain wealth, e.g. in fishing, fish farming, agriculture, power generation, industry, transport and tourism. • Water is needed for recreational activities such as fishing, swimming and sailing.
– Encourage water saving. – Foster changes in non sustainable water consumption habits. – Improve efficiency in water use.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Water consumption in the BAC increased by 18% from 1996 to 1999, from 219 million m3 to 259 million. In per capita terms the increase was from 104 to 123 m3. The biggest contributors to this increase were industry and services (22%), and home consumption (15%). Water loss in the distribution network also increased to 72 million m3 in 1999. The sectors of the economy which use most water in the BAC are industry and services with 46% and domestic users with 41%.
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
39
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
WATER CONSUMPTION & LOSSES IN THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK (millions of m3) BREAKDOWN OF WATER CONSUMPTION BY SECTORS (1999)
300 250
250
235
219
259
8%
Millions of m3
Water consumption
5%
46%
41%
200 Losses in distribution
150 100 69
65
60
72
50 0
1996
1997
1998
1999
Industry & Services
Agriculture
Home use
Municipal use
WATER CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA (m3) 150 Cubic metres
104
111
119
123
1997
1998
1999
100 50 0 1996
Source: National Institute of Statistics; Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Reverse the upward trend in water consumption per head of population and cut losses in high and low pressure water supplies by 20% by 2012, based on 2002 figures.
40
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
National Institute of Statistics. ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS ON WATER http://www.ine.es/inebase/menu1.htm#3
Medium
Indicator 7. ENERGY CONSUMPTION
INDICATOR 7. Energy Consumption Total energy consumption increased by 23% from 1990 to 2000. Energy intensity improved by 10% from 1990 to 2000.
Energy is involved in everything that happens in nature, and is essential for the maintenance of all forms of life. All human activities involve the use of energy. The actual problem of energy supplies is not a lack of energy (the sun is an enormous source) but rather how to make that energy usable. The main problems arising from the exploitation of energy resources include the following: • Each phase of the energy system (production, transmission, processing, distribution and consumption) impacts on the environment to a greater or lesser extent. • Gradual depletion of non renewable natural resources. • Imbalance in the distribution of energy consumption: 25% of the world’s population consumes 75% of the energy output. Energy use increased in unprecedented fashion for most of the 20th century. Consumer societies have greatly increased their energy demand, based principally on the use of fossil fuels as a power source. The main advantages of these fuels are that they are easily transported and the energy obtained from them can be transmitted over long distances. However they lead to problems such as emissions into the atmosphere (mainly of greenhouse gases and acid compounds) and waste production, and result in large-scale dependence on supplier countries.
To minimise the negative impact on the environment of energy production using conventional sources, Europe seeks to promote energy saving through increased efficiency in consumption and production, and by encouraging the use of renewable energy sources. To prevent energy dependency on others and bring production and consumption closer together, diversification of energy sources is also sought, with a view to achieving self sufficiency with internal production systems and gradually replacing conventional energy sources with renewable sources.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Promote improvements in energy efficiency in all sectors. – Encourage energy saving in all sectors. – Encourage the use of renewable energy sources.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS In 2000 industry and transport accounted for 48 and 31% respectively of the energy consumption in the BAC. Home consumption accounted for 11%, the service sector for 7% and the primary sector for 3%. Final energy consump-
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
41
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
tion increased in all sectors in the 1990’s. Over time, energy consumption seems to be stabilising, but transport, services and the residential sector continue to exert increasing pressure. Between 1990 and 2000 energy consumption in the transport sector increased by 119%, though even so it accounts for just 7% of final energy consumption. At almost 40% of the total, petroleum derivatives are the main source of energy used in the Basque Country. As an energy source they have major environmental im-
pacts, and are also non renewable. Fossil fuel consumption has increased by 9% over the last 11 years, though its share of the energy mix remains stable at around 66%. Consumption from renewable energy sources has increased by 22% since 1990, but these sources still represent just 3% of the total energy consumption of the BAC. This indicates how difficult it will be for the BAC to achieve the targets set by the EU (12% of final consumption by 2010).
FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY SECTORS (Ktep) 5,500 5,000 Total
4,500
SECTORAL BREAKDOWN OF FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION. 2000
4,000 Ktep
3,500
31%
3,000 3%
2,500
11%
48%
7%
2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Industry
Services
Transport
Residential
Primary
FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY SECTORS 240 220
Services +119%
200 Transport +68%
1990 = 100
180
Primary +64%
160 Residential +43%
140 120 100
Industry -4%
80 60 1990
1991
1992
Source: EVE.
42
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Indicator 7. ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY ENERGY SOURCES (Ktep) 6,000 5,000
BREAKDOWN OF FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY ENERGY SOURCES, 2000
Total
3%
Ktep
4,000
4% 27%
4%
41%
3,000 21%
2,000 1,000 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Solid fuels
Petroleum derivatives
Natural Gas
Electricity
Derivative energy
Renewable energy sources
Source: EVE.
Energy intensity improved by 10% between 1990 and 2000 (measured as energy consumption divided by GDP at constant prices with 1995 as the base year). However total energy consumption is up by 23%. This is mainly due to the fact that we travel more, carry more freight, have bigger homes and use more electrical appliances.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Foster energy efficiency to reduce energy intensity in general in line with the targets set and directives issued by the EU and specified in the Basque energy strategy.
ENERGY INTENSITY, ENERGY CONSUMPTION & GDP 150 140 GDP +37%
130
1990 = 100
120 110
Energy consumption +23%
100 Energy intensity -10%
90 80 70 60 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Provisional data
Source: EVE & EUSTAT.
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
43
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
• Contribute by 2012 to the meeting of the objectives set for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the Kyoto Agreement. • Increase the use of renewable energy sources by 2010 to a percentage of total gross internal consumption and electricity generation in particular in line with EU targets, with indicative levels to be specified in the Basque energy strategy.
44
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION: :
High
Ente Vasco de la Energía. ENERGY IN EUSKADI http://www.eve.es/castellano/frames/grupo_eve5.htlm
Indicator 8. CONSUMPTION OF MATERIALS
INDICATOR 8. Consumption of Materials Total consumption of material resources is very high, and increased sharply from 77 tonnes per person in 1990 to 92 tonnes in 2000, compared to an EU average of around 50 tonnes per person. Efficiency in the use of material resources has increased by 15% since 1990, i.e. consumption of material resources increased at a lower rate than economic growth in the last decade (relative de-linking).
In recent years several indicators have appeared which attempt to reflect the pressures exerted on the environment in aggregate fashion. They include Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (which measures the biomass used by human activities in energy units), the Ecological Footprint4 (which measures the area of productive land used by a population) and the Total material Requirement. After an analysis of the results obtained with each indicator it was decided to follow the EU method and use this last one, as it is considered to be the most accurate in indicating the pressures which our consumption of resources exerts on the environment, and enables comparisons to be made with waste, emission and discharge indicators. The Total Material Requirement (TMR) seeks to link the consumption of natural resources with the capacity of the environment to provide materials and absorb waste. It sets out to count in tonnes all the natural resources extracted from the environment, including hidden flows5, to sustain the various economic activities in a region. As an indicator, the TMR reflects the accumulated volume of natural resources (excluding water and air) extracted from nature for use in the economic activities of a country. It lists all aggregate resource flows in tonnes, and indicates the generic pressure on the environment. From a systems viewpoint, any flow of materials entering the economy will sooner or later result in an outgoing flow, often elsewhere and in a different form. Thus, the TMR indicates the total volume of material entering the economy which is subsequently turned into products, waste or emissions.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Improve efficiency in the use of materials. – Encourage the saving of materials. – Encourage the use of renewable materials.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Between 1990 and 2000 the TMR of the Basque Country increased by 20% from 77 tonnes per capita to 92 tonnes. This increase in resource requirements was mainly due to increases in imports of metal ores and fossil fuels. In the EU the TMR is around 50 tonnes per capita. The gap between the EU and Basque figures is due largely to the significance of the metals industry in the Basque economy: in the EU metals account for around 10 tonnes per capita of the TMR, while in the Basque Country the figure is 30 tonnes.
4 The methods use to measure the Ecological Footprint are under review. The figure for the BAC is calculated at 2.03 hectares per capita (Source: Environmental Economics Unit of the University of the Basque Country/ IHOBE). 5 Hidden flows are materials displaced as a result of processes to obtain natural resources, which are not counted in the economy.
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
45
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
TMR PER CAPITA IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY AND THE EU (tonnes per capita) 100 90
BAC 92 tonnes per capita
80
Target for BAC by 2006 80 tonnes per capita
Tonnes per capita
70 60 European Union 50 tonnes per capita
50 40 30 20 10 0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2006
Preliminary data Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment; Eurostat; Wuppertal Institute.
Efficiency in resource consumption (measured as GDP at constant prices divided by TMR) increased by 15% from 1990 to 2000. In 1990 the figure was 154 € for each tonne of resources, while in 2000 the Basque economy generated 176 € with the same amount of resources.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment TOTAL MATERIAL REQUIREMENT IN THE BAC: TMR 2002 http:/www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/materiales_capv.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • To peg back per capita TMR to 1998 levels by 2006.
MATERIAL EFFICIENCY, TMR & GDP 150 140 GDP +37%
1990 = 100
130
Material efficiency +14%
120 110
TMR +20%
100 90 Preliminary data
80 1990
Provisional data
1991
1992
1993
1994
Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment; EUSTAT.
46
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Indicator 9. INTENSITY OF ARTIFICIALISATION OF LAND
INDICATOR 9. Intensity of Artificialisation of Land From 1996 to 1999 the residential land area increased by 20% and the area occupied by economic activities by 25%.
Land is a practically non renewable resource: its rate of degradation is relatively fast, while its rates of formation and regeneration are extremely slow. Land is a vital resource which has several key environmental, economic, social and cultural functions which are fundamental to life: • Production of food and biomass. Food production, forestry and other agricultural produce essential for human life depend entirely on land. Practically all plants, grazing land, crops and trees need soil to obtain water and nutrients and to provide physical support. • Storage, filtration and conversion. The soil stores minerals, organic matter, water and chemicals, and helps convert them.
• Habitat & genetic reserves. A great many organisms of different types live in or on the soil. These organisms play a fundamental role in ensuring the physical and biochemical properties required to make the soil fertile: they break down organic matter, provide reserves of nutrients, eliminate external pathogens and break contaminants down into simpler, often less harmful compounds. The nature of all land-based ecosystems depends on the soil type in their areas. • Physical and cultural environment for humanity. The land provides a base for human activities as well as a landscape, and is part of our cultural heritage. • Source of raw materials. The soil provides raw materials such as clay, sand, minerals and peat.
The artificialisation of land through the construction of housing, roads or other structures seals off the soil. When this happens the surface area available to the soil to perform its functions of absorbing rainwater for filtration and infiltration is reduced. The sealed off areas can also impact on adjacent areas by modifying water courses and thus exacerbating the fragmentation of biodiversity. Once soil is sealed off, the process is practically irreversible.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS For the moment there is no indicator in place which reflects clearly the intensity of artificialisation of the soil in the Basque Country. However, the graphs below give an idea of the increasing pressure for more residential and industrial areas, amenities, etc. The incomplete data available on land classification and zoning from municipal planning records show that the land area given over to residential use and economic activities is increasing. Between 1996 and 1999 the gross surface area given over to residential use increased by around 20%. The land take of economic activities (industry & services) increased by 25%.
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
47
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
CHANGES IN RESIDENTIAL LAND TAKE (Hectares)
CHANGES IN LAND TAKE BY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES (Hectares)
18,000
8,000 Residential land take
16,000
Hectares
14,000 Hectares
Land take by economic activities
7,000
12,000
6,000 5,000
10,000 4,000 8,000 6,000
3,000 1996
1999
1996
1999
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
CHANGES IN THE CUMULATIVE NUMBER OF HOMES BUILT 100,000 90,000 80,000
Nº of homes
70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: EUSTAT.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Gradually decrease the process of artificialisation and the rate at which land is being destroyed, and protect agricultural land. – Promote the adaptation of town planning systems to the objectives laid down in regional land-use regulations and to sustainability criteria.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Avoid land consumption through low-density development by introducing higher building density levels in the most appropriate areas through local land use regulations.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Low
Work is ongoing to set up this indicator. See Appendix 4.
http://www.eustat.es 48
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Waste
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Waste ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Prevent waste production
KEY POINT
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
Are we reducing the amount of waste 10. Total waste production we produce?
Manage final waste properly Responsible waste management
Are we recycling more and more?
11. Waste management
aste represents an enormous loss of material and energy resources. Indeed, excessive waste production is a sign of inefficiency in production processes, of poor durability in products and of unsustainable consumer habits. The quantity of waste generated is therefore an indicator of how efficient a society is at using its raw materials.
The amount of waste produced has grown so great that just carrying it accounts for a large proportion of freight transport.
Apart from waste produced by industrial and domestic activities, other types of waste are currently being produced as a result of attempts to remediate environmental pollution, e.g. sludge from waste water treatment, soil removed from contaminated sites, etc.
The European strategy for waste management comprises a hierarchy of principles in which top priority is given to reducing waste production. Next comes re-use and recycling of waste materials, then energy recovery and finally dumping.
W
50
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Some hazardous substances contained in waste, albeit in small quantities, can also result in harm to the environment and to human health.
Indicator 10. WASTE PRODUCTION
INDICATOR 10. Waste Production Urban waste produced in 2001 totalled 478 kg. per capita. Municipal waste increased by 66% from 1990 to 2001. In 2000 just over 327,000 tonnes of hazardous waste was produced: 12% more than in 1994.
50% of the waste produced in the Basque Country is classed as industrial and construction waste, 34% as agriculture & livestock waste and 16% as municipal waste. Data series are currently available only for municipal and hazardous industrial waste. In 2003 an inventory of non hazardous waste from industry and commerce (including construction and demolition waste) will become available, and 2004 will see the issue of an inventory of agriculture & livestock waste.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
Average waste production per capita in the EU is around 540 kg.
– Prevent and minimise waste at source, thus reducing the amount and harmfulness of waste. – Reduce the production and hazardousness of final or ultimate waste requiring elimination.
Hazardous waste was up by 12% from 1994 levels to 327,138 tonnes in 2000, after holding steady from 1994 to 1998 at around 290,000 tonnes. Figures for the past year are expected to show an increase of around 10%.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Production of waste in the BAC continues to increase, and is closely linked to economic growth. In 2001 municipal waste production in the BAC totalled 478 kg per capita, an increase of 66% from the figure for 1990.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Stabilise the amount of municipal waste per capita at 2001 levels by 2012
TOTAL WASTE PRODUCTION. 2000 Construction & demolition 23% Agriculture & livestock 34%
Municipal waste 16% Non hazardous industrial waste 23% Hazardous industrial wast 4%
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
WASTE
51
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
MUNICIPAL WASTE PRODUCTION PER CAPITA (kg.) 550 478
500 450
Target for BAC by 2012 478 kg. per capita
kg. per capita
400 350 300
289
250 200 150 100 50
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2012
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
HAZARDOUS WASTE PRODUCTION (Tonnes) 450,000 400,000 350,000
Tonnes
300,000
327,138 Tm 290,888 Tm
Target for BAC by 2006 327,138 Tm
250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 1994
1998
1999
2000
2006
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
• Stabilise hazardous waste production at 2000 levels by 2006.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Medium
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment INVENTORY OF HAZARDOUS WASTES OF THE BAC 1998: http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/Seleccion/ D_Inventario_Residuos.htm 1999: : http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/Seleccion/ D_Inventario_Residuos_1999.htm
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. WASTE http://www.euskadi.net/vima_residuos/indice_c.htm
52
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Indicator 11. WASTE MANAGEMENT
INDICATOR 11. Waste Management Selective refuse collection for municipal waste increased 16-fold from 1990 to 2001. However the percentage of municipal waste sent to dump sites remained practically unchanged at 88% from 1996 to 2001. Considerable progress has been made in hazardous waste management, from 72% of waste managed in 1994 to 100% from 1998 onwards.
The pressures exerted on the environment by waste management include: • use of land for dump sites; • leaching of nutrients, heavy metals & other toxic compounds from dump sites;
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Foster re-use, recycling and any other form of revalorisation and closing of cycles. – Improve the waste collection and elimination infrastructure of the BAC.
• emission of greenhouse gases from dump sites and from organic waste treatment plants; • atmospheric pollution & toxic by-products from incinerator plants; • air & water pollution and secondary waste streams from recycling plants; • increased road transport. The problem of the increasing amounts of waste produced cannot be solved sustainably merely through efficient management and recycling. Waste management must form part of a strategy for sustainable development which assigns top priority to preventing the production of waste, reducing consumption of raw materials and energy and limiting emissions at source. Waste must be analysed and treated as an integral part of society’s total flow of materials.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS 88% of municipal waste in the BAC is sent for dumping. This means that only 12% is valorised by recycling (11.4%) or incineration (0.6%). The percentage of municipal waste valorised has remained steady since 1996, though in absolute terms the figure is up by 31,461 tonnes. Most of the municipal waste recycled in 2001 stemmed from selective collection of paper and cardboard (57,331 tonnes) and glass (39,243 tonnes). The trend in selective collection of municipal waste for subsequent recycling is positive: in 1990 selective collection totalled 7,045 tonnes of waste, while in 2001 the figure was 112,350 tonnes, a 16-fold increase.
MUNICIPAL WASTE TREATMENT (tonnes) 900,000 Dumping
800,000 700,000
Tonnes
600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 Valorisation
100,000 0
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
WASTE
53
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
KERBSIDE SELECTIVE COLLECTION OF MUNICIPAL WASTE (tonnes) 140,000 112,350
120,000
Total
Tonnes
100,000 80,000
Paper & cardboard Glass
60,000
Packaging
40,000
Batteries
20,000 7,045 Domestic appliances
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
Not managed
HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
100% 28%
80% 60%
32%
28%
68%
0%
Target for BAC by 2006 49%
33%
Valorised
40% 20%
31%
69%
67% 51%
44%
Eliminated
1994
1998
1999
2000
2006
Note: Preliminary data only for 2000. Target for BAC by 2006 is provisional. Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
1994 saw the appearance of the first inventory of hazardous waste in the BAC. At that time, 72% of the region’s hazardous waste was managed. The 1998 and 2000 data show that 100% of this waste is now managed. The total valorised in 2000 was close to 107,000 tonnes (33%).
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. WASTE http://www.euskadi.net/vima_residuos/indice_c.htm
Provincial Council of. Municipal Solid Waste in Bizkaia. ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Reduce the amount of municipal waste sent for dumping to 75% of the total by 2006. • Increase the amount of hazardous waste valorised by 50% on 2000 levels by 2006.
http://www.bizkaia.net/Ingurugiro/Bizitza_kalitatea/Garbinet/ ca_indice1.htm
Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Integrated Municipal Waste Management Plan of Gipuzkoa 2002-2016. http://www3.gipuzkoa.net/corporac/medioambiente/residuos/ index-c.htm
IHOBE http://www.ihobe.net
54
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Climate Change
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Climate Change ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Limit influence on climate change
KEY POINT
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
To what extent are we contributing 12. Greenhouse gas emissions: to climate change? a. Amount of emissions b. Emissions & GDP
he greenhouse effect in the earth’s atmosphere is a natural phenomenon by which water vapour and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere retain infrared radiation. Without it the temperature of the earth would be much lower, and life as we know it could not exist. But since the onset of industrialisation, human activities have increased the levels in the atmosphere of many gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect, and climate change has become a potentially serious threat to the world environment.
T
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is at the centre of world-wide efforts to combat global warming. It was set up at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 and came into force on March 21st 1994. The ultimate goal of the Convention is "stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecos-
56
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
ystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner". The Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC reinforces international measures in response to climate change. Approved by consensus during the third period of sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention in December 1997, this instrument contains new objectives in regard to emissions for countries included in Annex I (developed countries) for the period following 2000. The objective of the Protocol is, by halting and reversing the upward trend in greenhouse gas emissions which began in those countries 150 years ago, to bring closer the ultimate objective of the Convention, i.e. to prevent "dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system ". EU Member States must reduce their joint greenhouse gas emissions by 8% from 2008 to 2012 (Spain +15%).
Indicator 12. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
INDICATOR 12. Greenhouse Gas Emissions From 1990 to 2000 direct emissions of the main greenhouse gases generated in the Basque Country increased by 25%. The link between greenhouse gases and GDP decreased by 8.76% between 1990 and 2000.
The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases originate mainly from the burning of fossil fuels by the transport and energy sectors, particularly oil and gas, from livestock farming and from industrial processes. The main opportunities for reducing emissions of these gases lie in using energy more efficiently and in replacing fossil fuels by alternative energy sources.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Foster the supply of primary energy based on clean energy sources. – Promote improvements in energy efficiency in all sectors. – Encourage energy saving in all sectors. – Encourage the replacement of fossil fuels by fuel from renewable energy sources, and the use of those fossil fuels which emit least greenhouse gases.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Direct emissions of the main greenhouse gases generated in the Basque Country in 2000 totalled 18.6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent: 25% more than in 1990. This is a direct result of increased energy consumption in the transport, residential and service sectors. The increase in Spain as a whole over the same period was 34.7%. Meanwhile in the EU there was a 3.53% drop. Taking into consideration that the Basque Country imports electricity (which therefore produces emissions elsewhere), the sum total of emissions attributable to the socio-economic activities of the region in 2000 was 23.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent: 25% up on the figure for 19906. Per capita greenhouse gas emissions from the socio-economic activities of the BAC work out at 8.84 tonnes. On the other hand, a reduction of 8.76 in the ratio of tonnes of CO2 equivalent to actual units of GDP has been achieved with respect to the 1990 figure. The biggest con-
6 In the emission reduction targets agreed in Kyoto, measurements are in direct greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. emissions associated with energy imports are not included.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS & CLIMATE CHANGE
57
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (millions of tonnes of CO2 equivalent)
SECTORAL BREAKDOWN OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
30
200 Total
180 Direct emissions
20 15
CO2
Transport +70%
Energy +77%
160 1990 = 100
Millions of tonnes
25
Services +75%
Residential +40%
140 120
Waste +37%
100
Agriculture +11%
10 CH4
5
N2O
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Industry -25%
80 60
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE BAC, THE EU AND SPAIN
1990 = 100
140
120
Spain +34.76% Kyoto Target for 2008-2012 in Spain +15%
BAC +25.32%
Kyoto Target 2008-2012 in EU -8%
100 EU -3.53%
80 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
……
2008
2012
Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment; European Environment Industry.
tributor remains the energy industry with 30%: emissions from this sector have increased by 77% in recent years. Industry accounts for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions, though its emissions are down by 25% since 1990. Transport accounts for 25%, with an increase of 70% from 1990 to 2000.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS
European Environment Agency. Annual European
• Contribute by 2012 to the meeting of the objectives set for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the Kyoto Agreement (Spain +15% of 1990 figure between 2008 & 2012).
58
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
High
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment INVENTORY OF EMISSIONS OF CO2 AND OTHER GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE BAC (1990-2000) http://www.ihobe.net/Publicaciones/descarga/emisiones.pdf
Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2000 and Inventory Report 2002. Technical report No 75. http://reports.eea.eu.int/technical_report_2002_75/en
Biodiversity & Landscape
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Biodiversity & Landscape ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL
KEY POINT
Protection of nature Are we conserving our natural & biodiversity heritage and landscape?
iodiversity refers to all the different varieties of life forms. It is described in terms of diversity of ecosystems, species and genes. The landscape is territory as perceived by human beings, resulting from the interaction of different natural and possibly human factors.
B
Diversity means wealth. Conserving biological and landscape diversity is valuable in many ways, including the following: • Ecological value. By maintaining biological and landscape diversity we maintain processes of adaptation and specialisation which have taken place over millions of years in a changing environment. • Utilitarian value. Human beings can use biodiversity in many ways, including the consumption of animals and plants for food, chemicals from plants, micro-organisms for medical purposes and forestry products for industry. • Recreational & aesthetic value. Direct contact with nature produces a feeling of well-being in human beings. The conservation of natural and landscape resources can and should be used as a way of fostering economic development in many rural and tourist areas. • Heritage value. Biodiversity is valuable in cultural terms through the species, breeds and varieties associated with the history of a particular country and its traditional
60
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
13. Landscape biodiversity index
arable and livestock farming, its local cuisine, etc. The landscape is also significant in terms of cultural identity, religious and historic symbolism. • Scientific value. All species have real or potential value as means of advancing our knowledge of the world. The factors which harm biological and landscape diversity include: • the canalisation of rivers and destruction of their banks; • water and air pollution; • intensive farming and the use of pesticides; • the marketing of wild animal species; • the introduction of exotic species; • fires; • the fragmentation and destruction of habitats, mainly as a result of the construction of linear infrastructures and the growth of cities and industry; • the increasing uniformity and simplification of the agricultural landscape (disappearance of hedgerows and scrub land); • the training of marshes and wetlands; • the extension of disperse urbanisation.
Indicator 13. BIODIVERSITY & LANDSCAPE INDEX
INDICATOR 13. Biodiversity & Landscape Index No data on the situation of this indicator are currently available.
In natural and rural landscapes, biodiversity and landscape quality go hand in hand. Both biodiversity indicators and landscape indicators are therefore used in drawing up the biodiversity and landscape index. The principles of landscape ecology are the best starting point in the search for an index which can provide information on biodiversity and landscape. The structure of a landscape is determined by the following factors, which are closely linked with biodiversity and therefore with landscape quality: • the number of habitat patches (landscape units); • the size of those patches, which determines the "grain" or density of a landscape (fine grain when habitat patches are all small and scattered in a fragmented landscape and coarse grain when the patches are large); • the shape of the patches (e.g. long and curved patches have more contact with adjacent patches, while round ones offer less opportunity for reaction); • the degree to which patches are connected one with another, i.e. the existence of corridors between them.
A habitat patch is defined as a relatively homogenous area which is distinguished from its surroundings. The term can therefore refer to landscape units on the landscape map of the Basque Country, types of vegetation, land uses, habitats, protected natural areas, etc. Degree of fragmentation and connectivity have been selected as the most suitable indicators in the BAC, as there are several maps which can be used to define patches and a network of ecological corridors has already been drawn up which can indicate connectivity. These indicators measure the opportunities offered by the area, its potential for housing a high biodiversity and quality of landscape. However, cases might arise in which a landscape is not highly fragmented and is well connected, but due to a problem of pollution its biological richness is lost or threatened. It is therefore considered important to supplement the indicators that provide indirect information on biodiversity and landscape via further indicators that measure changes in biodiversity and landscape. A series of "indicator species" and "indicator landscapes" have been selected which are to be regularly monitored for changes in population levels and degree of alteration, respectively.
BIODIVERSITY & LANDSCAPE
61
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Appreciably reduce threats in order to sustain essential environmental systems and maintain the evolutionary potential of ecosystems. – Place emphasis on natural and semi-natural ecosystems and on unique ecosystems and species. – Achieve landscapes of the highest possible quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Set up ecological corridors in the BAC by 2006. • Draw up a catalogue of unique and outstanding landscapes in the BAC by 2003. • Map and review all habitats of EU interest (priority & special interest habitats) by 2003, plus all habitats of interest to the BAC which are not listed in the appendices to Directive 92/43.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS The biodiversity index is currently at the definition and preparation stage. It will be made up of four variables: the first two will be based on indirect sources of data on biodiversity and landscape quality and the other two on direct observation: 1. Changes in the fragmentation of landscape units, ecosystems and habitats. 2. Changes in connectivity between landscape units, ecosystems and habitats. 3. Changes in the population of indicator species. 4. Changes in the degree of landscape alteration of indicator landscapes.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Low
Work is ongoing on the definition an d preparation of this indicator. See Appendix 4.
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. BIODIVERSITY http://www.euskadi.net/medio_ambiente/biodiversidad/indice_c.htm
The Urban Environment
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
The Urban Environment ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL
KEY POINT
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
Balance between Is the demand for mobility being met 14. Local mobility territory & mobility: in an environmentally sustainable a common approach fashion? Ensure a healthy urban environment
How much noise do we suffer? Is it healthy?
15. Population exposed to noise above WHO recommended levels
Ensure clean, healthy air
Is urban air quality improving?
16. Urban air quality
Balance between What progress are our municipalities 17. Local Agenda 21 schemes in territory and making towards sustainable Basque municipalities mobility: a common development? approach
y their very nature, cities concentrate large numbers of people in small areas. This has obvious advantages for economic and social development, and in some ways is actually even beneficial to the environment in that land use and energy consumption tend to be lower than among equivalent numbers of people more widely dispersed. There are also economies of scale to be made in the treatment of municipal waste and waste water. However, large segments of the urban population
B
64
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
continue to generate and suffer major local environmental problems, especially in the form of poor air quality, high noise levels and traffic congestion. Work is ongoing to define an indicator for urban green areas which will combine a quantitative assessment of the provision of green areas (measured in m2 per capita) and a qualitative assessment in terms of the number of outstanding parks and gardens listed.
Indicator 14. LOCAL MOBILITY
INDICATOR 14.
Local Mobility
From 1990 to 2000 the number of vehicles and the length of the motorway and dual carriageway network increased by over 30%. The number of journeys to and from work by car increased from 38% of the total in 1989 to 47% in 1999.
Increasing mobility and decreasing accessibility are threatening the quality of the urban environment, social wellbeing and economic viability of cities, Major contributors to this include big increases in traffic and a radical change in the modes of transport used, with use of private cars increasing at the expense of journeys on foot, by bicycle or on public transport. The problems associated with the current pattern of urban mobility include the following: • environmental problems such as atmospheric pollution and high energy consumption;
– Reflect external transport costs (marginal costs) in tariff systems for the use of infrastructures. – Encourage modes of transport with less environmental impact through tax policies and/ or public fares. – Class non motorised forms such as walking & cycling as fully-fledged modes of transport, on a par with motorised modes. – Use smart transport systems to reduce overall demand and increase effectiveness. – Prioritise investment in infrastructures for more environmentally friendly forms of transport.
• health problems arising from atmospheric pollution and noise pollution from vehicle traffic; • social problems such as isolation from essential services, changing social patterns and reductions in the level of public transport provided; • transport problems such as traffic jams, increased danger for cyclists and pedestrians, architectural barriers and an increasing land take by transport-related activities; • economic problems, including a lack of efficiency arising from congestion, unattractiveness for investors and social, economic and environmental costs calculated at 5% of GDP in OECD countries. To achieve sustainable mobility directives must be laid down for improving access, and not just journeys themselves. Urban transport policy must seek first and foremost to combine accessibility, economic development and environmental objectives.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Restructure the way in which the different means of transport are organised to promote public and non motorised transport. – Reduce mobility requirements by not favouring activities and urban land uses which would increase the demand for motorised transport. – Encourage intermodality in both passenger and goods transport to increase energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. – Encourage flexibility in schedules and timing in those activities in which this is possible.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Half the passenger journeys made each day by motor vehicles in the Basque Country are made by private car. On a normal working day around 373,000 private cares take to the roads, with an average occupancy of just 1.66 persons per car. These cars account for 20% of total final energy consumption. To date all attempts at solving traffic problems have tried (and failed) to deal with the problems arising from the increase in the number of vehicles by means such as building new access roads and taking over space formerly given over to pedestrians. This increases the infrastructures available to cars can only lead to a rise in the number of cars in circulation and to further jams which take matters back to square one. Between 1990 and 2000 the number of private cars in the Basque Country increased by 35% (as compared to 17% in the EU from 1990 to 1999). During the same period the length of the motorway and dual carriageway network increased by 37%. The problem must be tackled from the point of view of accessibility, i.e. by analysing why journeys are made and what alternative forms of making them can be provided. Analysis of journeys to and from work and school/ college shows that the percentage of journeys made on foot has dropped (from 62 to 45% for school/ college and from 39 to 31% for work). The percentage of journeys to and from work by car increased from 38% in 1989 to 47% in 1999.
THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
65
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
NUMBER OF CARS PER 1000 INHABITANTS & KM. OF MOTORWAYS/ DUAL CARRIAGEWAYS 150 km. of motorways & dual carriageways: +37%
140
1990 = 100
130 120
Nº of cars per 1000 inhabitants: +35%
110 100 90
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Source: General Directorate for Traffic, Ministry of Infrastructures; Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
BREAKDOWN OF JOURNEYS TO & FROM SCHOOL/ COLLEGE BY MODE OF TRANSPORT
BREAKDOWN OF JOURNEYS TO & FROM WORK BY MODE OF TRANSPORT
70
50 45
60
40 50
Car
35
40 30 20
Train
30
Bus
25
On Foot
20
Bike/ Motor-cycle Combined
15
10
Others
10 5
0 1989
1994
1999
0 1989
1994
1999
Source: EUSTAT, Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Get passengers to shift from private to public transport in line with the objectives of the forthcoming sustainable transport plan. • Increase the percentage of total passenger transport in the main urban areas of the BAC accounted for by public transport by 10% by 2006, from 2001 levels. • Achieve reductions in the use of road transport, diverting freight users to rail and shipping and passengers to public transport so that the percentage of transport accounted for by road transport in 2012 is no greater than in 2001.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Low
This indicator needs to be improved by including data on the nº of passengers per km. per mode of transport. This figure can be obtained through population surveys.
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment & Dept. of Transport and Public Works. TRANSPORT AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BAC. TMA 2002 INDICATORS www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/TMA.pdf
Indicator 15. POPULATION EXPOSED TO NOISE ABOVE WHO RECOMMENDED LEVELS
INDICATOR 15.
Population Exposed to Noise Above WHO Recommended Levels
No data are currently available on the situation of this indicator.
Sound sources are all around us, and we perceive sound as noise in many different circumstances. Ambient noise is the sound produced by human activities (traffic, railways, aircraft, industry, recreational activities, construction, etc.) which is perceived in the domestic environment, i.e. in and near the home, in public parks, schools, etc.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Reduce harmful emissions of radiation and noise.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Ambient noise has various effects on human beings: it can disturb sleep and cause stress, high blood pressure, hearing injuries, etc. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that exposure to ambient noise levels higher than 65 dB (A) entails risks for human health.
No data on noise are currently available for the population of the BAC as a whole. A diagnostic study of the Basque population exposed to high noise levels is planned for 2004. The data available at present cover only the municipalities of Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz, where around 20% of the population live in an environment with outdoor ambient noise exceeding the reference level of 65 dB(A).
NOISE MAP OF ROAD & RAIL TRANSPORT NETWORKS
Noise levels on roads: 55-65 dB(A) 65-75 dB(A) >75 dB(A)
Noise levels on railways: 55-65 dB(A) >65 dB(A)
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
67
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
BREAKDOWN OF NOISE LEVELS ON INDUSTRIAL ESTATES - 2000 9% 33%
58% < 65 dB(A) 65 - 75 dB(A) > 75 dB(A)
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
The noise map for transport networks in the Basque Country shows those transport infrastructures which produce noise levels greater than 55 dB(A) measured at 10 metres from the road/ track. The A-8, A-68 and A-15 motorways and the N-I national highway stand out, with a noise impact of more than 75 dB(A). Between them, they affect over a hundred municipalities. There are 167 industrial areas with recorded noise levels of more than 65 dB(A). 9 of them are in Araba, 77 in Bizkaia and 81 in Gipuzkoa. 9% of the industrial estates analysed in drawing up the BAC noise map had noise levels of over 75 dB(A), 33% were between 65 and 75 dB(A), and just 58% were below the threshold level of 65 dB(A). A total of 79 municipalities are affected by this.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS â&#x20AC;¢ Draw up a diagnostic study by 2004 to determine how many people are exposed to high noise levels, and formulate a strategy for reducing those levels.
68
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Low
This indicator will become available in 2004.
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment NOISE http://www.euskadi.net/vima_aire/ruido_c.htm
Provincial Council of Bizkaia. NOISE IN BIZKAIA http://www.bizkaia.net/Ingurugiro/zarata/ca_index.htm
Indicator 16. URBAN AIR QUALITY
INDICATOR 16.
Urban Air Quality
Urban air quality has improved over the past 5 years, with reductions in annual average levels of NO2, SO2 and total suspended particles at most sampling stations.
The extent to which air quality is affected by atmospheric pollutants is one of the determining factors for measuring the quality of urban life. The presence of industrial sites in or near cities, heating systems and emissions from vehicle traffic, sometimes combined with particular weather conditions which hinder the dispersal of pollutants in the urban air, can frequently bring air quality down to levels which are considered harmful to health. The most typical urban atmospheric pollutants are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), non methanic volatile organic components (NMVOC’s), total suspended particles (TSP), lead (Pb) and other heavy metals.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Annual average levels of NO2 have dropped at all sampling stations except Donostia-San Sebastián and Renteria. Three stations remain (Donostia-San Sebastián, Erandio and Renteria) at which the annual average levels measured are higher than the limit figure for protection of human health set as a target to be reached by 2010 (40 mg/Nm3) under Directive 1999/30. Annual average levels of SO2 in urban areas have increased at the Abanto and Arrasate sampling stations, but have decreased at all the rest. Under Directive 1999/30 the annual limit level of SO2 for the protection of ecosystems is 20 mg/Nm3, as from July 19th 2001. This figure was exceeded in 2001 only at the Abanto sampling station.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Reduce emissions of hazardous and pollutant substances.
Levels of total suspended particles (TSP) have increased at the stations in Arrasate, Beasain, Bilbao and Llodio, but are well below the limit level of 150 mg/Nm3 set in Royal Decree 1321/92.
ANNUAL AVERAGE LEVEL OF NO2 80 Abanto
µg/Nm3
70
EU limit value by 2010: 40 µg/Nm3
Arrasate
60
Donostia-San Sebastián
50
Basauri Beasain
40
Erandio
30
Llodio Bilbao
20
Rentería
10 0
Vitoria-Gasteiz
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
69
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
ANNUAL AVERAGE LEVELS OF SO2 30 EU limit value by 2001: 20 µg/Nm3
Abanto Arrasate Donostia-San Sebastián
20 µg/Nm3
Basauri Beasain Erandio Llodio
10
Bilbao Rentería Vitoria-Gasteiz
0 1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ANNUAL AVERAGE LEVELS OF TSP’s 180 160
Limit level 150 µg/Nm3
µg/Nm3
140
Abanto
120
Arrasate
100
Donostia-San Sebastián Beasain
80
Llodio
60
Bilbao Rentería
40 20 0
1997
1998
1999
2000
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • To meet EU targets for air quality (immissions).
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment AIR QUALITY SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING NETWORK http://www.euskadi.net/vima_aire/red_vigilancia_c.htm
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Indicator 17. LOCAL AGENDA 21 SCHEMES AT BASQUE MUNICIPALITIES
INDICATOR 17.
Local Agenda 21 Schemes at Basque Municipalities
32 Basque municipalities have signed the Aalborg Charter, 56 are involved in Local Agenda 21 schemes and 14 of them have already designed their Local Agenda.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
The international conference on the environment and development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1982 adopted Agenda 21 as a global strategy for instrumentalising economic, social, cultural and environmental policies favouring sustainable development, which could halt the degradation of our planet. The importance of action to foster sustainable development prompted a call in Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 for local Agenda 21 schemes to be adopted through dialogue and consensus between local authorities, the public, social organisations and businesses.
– Promote the renovation and rehabilitation of consolidated cities. – Promote improvements in attractiveness of design and in quality of life in urban areas. – Promote the valorisation of rural and natural areas and local enjoyment of the benefits thus obtained. – Promote the adaptation of town planning systems to the objectives laid down in regional land-use regulations and to sustainability criteria.
On the basis of this agreement, policies and programmes have been drawn up which have led thousands of local authorities all over the world to become involved in Local Agenda 21 processes. Europe has played a leading role, especially through the European Campaign for Sustainable Cities and Towns, which groups over 1400 local authorities working for sustainable development in their municipalities.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS From 1998 to 2001 interest in sustainability among Basque municipalities grew considerably. In 1998 only four Basque municipalities had signed the Aalborg Charter, while by 2001 the figure had risen to 32.
The key to solving the world’s environmental problems lies in local action multiplied in space and time. The adoption and start-up of Local Agenda 21 processes at Basque municipalities has therefore been established as a priority goal of environmental policy in the Basque Country. Local Agenda 21 is the main tool through which Basque municipalities are beginning to incorporate continuous environmental improvement.
As of July 2002, a total of 56 Basque municipalities are involved in Local Agenda 21 processes (6 in Araba, 29 in Bizkaia and 21 in Gipuzkoa). Of the 14 that have designed their own Local Agenda, 13 have over 5000 inhabitants.
MUNICIPALITIES SIGNED UP TO THE AALBORG CHARTER 35
32 Signatories
Nº of municipalities
30 25 20
17
15 10 5 0
8 4
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
71
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
BASQUE MUNICIPALITIES INVOLVED IN LOCAL AGENDA 21 PROCESSES (as of July 2002) ARABA
BIZKAIA
GIPUZKOA
Agurain
Abanto Zierbena
Fruiz
Andoain
Oiartzun
Amurrio
Alonsotegi
Gamiz-Fika
Aretxabaleta
Tolosa
Asparrena
Arantzazu
Gernika-Lumo
Arrasate
Urretxu
Laudio
Areatza
Getxo
Astigarraga
Villabona
Valdegovia
Arrieta
Gordexola
Azkoitia
Zarautz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Artea
Igorre
Azpeitia
Zumarraga
Bakio
Laukiz
Deba
Balmaseda
Lemoa
Donostia-San Sebastián
Barakaldo
Mallabia
Eibar
Basauri
Meñaka
Elgoibar
Bilbao
Mungia
Ezkio-Itsaso
Dima
Santurtzi
Irun
Elorrio
Sopuerta
Legazpi
Erandio
Zeanuri
Mendaro
Ermua
Mutriku
Note: Bold print denotes municipalities which have designed their own Local Agenda 21. Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Ensure that by 2006 all 64 municipalities in the BAC with more than 5000 inhabitants have their own Local Agenda 21 designed, individually or on a district basis. • Ensure that all town halls governing more than 10,000 people have a technical staff member responsible for the environment by 2006. By 2012 such persons should be in place individually or on a shared basis at town halls governing more than 5,000 people.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment TOWARDS LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY http://www.udaltalde21.net/
Environmental Risks
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Environmental Risks ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy air, water and soil
KEY POINT How many incidents causing environmental damage are there?
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
18. Incidents with environmental repercussions.
anger can be defined as the potential for harm, but "risk" is a harder concept to pin down. In everyday language, the word is used to refer to the possibility of a disaster occurring. A more specific definition would be the combination of the probability or likelihood of occurrence of a given danger with the scale of the consequences of such an occurrence.
D
The approach adopted in drawing up environmental regulations and policies has gradually shifted from being based on danger to being based on risk. A risk-based approach seeks to study the real risks involved in environmental matters, rather than the potential dangers, which may or may not materialise. This move towards a risk-based approach is due in part to acknowledgement of the fact that zero-risk solutions will never be found for some environmental matters.
74
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Accidents and natural disasters are largely unpredictable one-off events. Certain serious technological accidents, and some natural disasters, have an enormous potential impact on the environment in the short term, and can sometimes cause irreparable harm to local populations and ecosystems. Furthermore, a series of more minor accidents such as road accidents involving transport of hazardous substances, can have repercussions which are cumulatively more serious than those of single large-scale accidents.
Indicator 18. INCIDENTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REPERCUSSIONS
INDICATOR 18.
Incidents with Environmental Repercussions
The number of incidents with environmental repercussions increased gradually from 1995 to 1999. 2000 and 2001 saw a downturn in industrial accidents, but not in those arising from transport.
Incidents with negative repercussions for the environment and for human health continue to occur, sometimes with natural causes and sometimes with technological causes. Such incidents can be classed in three groups: industrial accidents, transport accidents and natural disasters such as floods and landslides following heavy rain. In industrial accidents the level of industrialisation and the degree of obsolescence of industrial plants are clearly determining factors in the number of incidents affecting the environment. The environmental risk is greater if chemicals are involved. Most of these accidents could be prevented by adopting adequate safety measures and ensuring preventive maintenance in high-risk facilities, i.e. through good risk management practices. There are many types of industrial accident which can affect the environment, though the five major types are spillages, leaks, fires, explosions and malfunctions. Transport accidents include those arising from the transportation of hazardous goods by road, rail or sea, and those road accidents which do not involve hazardous freight but nevertheless have an appreciable impact on the environment. The consequences of natural disasters can also be exacerbated by human activities. Modification of water cour-
ses and the encasing and covering of rivers in response to demand for urban land affect the extent and duration of flooding. Clearing of hillsides for livestock farming and construction can result in soil erosion and landslides.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Reduce emissions and discharges of hazardous substances and pollutants.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS The number of incidents with environmental repercussions in the Basque Country increased gradually from 1995 to 2001: in 1996 there were 36 such incidents, while in 2000 there were 64. Most of the incidents with environmental repercussions took place in industry. The most common incidents were fires (12 in 2001) and liquid spillages (9 in 2001). Transport accidents, especially those involving hazardous freight,
INCIDENTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REPERCUSSIONS 80 70
NÂş of incidents
60
Total incidents
50 40
Industrial accidents
30
Natural disasters Transport accidents
20 10 0 1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
75
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
TYPE OF INCIDENT Industrial accidents
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001* 24
17
25
30
52
44
26
Malfunction ................................................................................
2
3
3
4
7
6
2
Spillage of liquid...................................................................
13
9
12
17
26
16
9
Explosion ........................................................................................
1
1
1
1
1
1
–
Gas leak ...........................................................................................
3
1
1
2
4
3
3
Fire .........................................................................................................
5
3
8
6
14
18
12
Transport accidents
16
16
11
11
20
20
19
Hazardous freight by road ........................................
7
10
4
3
7
8
5
Conventional freight by road ................................
7
3
4
8
9
8
10
Shipping ..........................................................................................
1
2
–
–
3
1
3
Rail ........................................................................................................
1
1
3
–
1
3
1
2
3
4
0
0
0
0
Flooding ...........................................................................................
–
–
4
–
–
–
–
Landslides ......................................................................................
2
3
–
–
–
–
–
42
36
40
41
72
64
45
Natural disasters
TOTAL INCIDENTS Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment. * Provisional data.
are also a significant threat to the environment. In 2001 there were 19 such accidents with environmental repercussions, of which 5 involved hazardous freight. The increase in the number of environmental emergencies in recent years is due in part to the big rise in industrial accidents, even though safety at industrial plants is tending to improve. The rise in the amounts of hazardous freight being carried by road (especially fuels) has also contributed to the increase. Another point to be taken into consideration is the increasing extent to which the authorities monitor activities which affect the environment, which has brought to light information which was previously not available.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Implement an effective, co-ordinated monitoring plan to prevent and combat environmental offences. Programmes for 2003-2007/2007-2012.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
Health and the Environment
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Health and the Environment ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy air, water and soil
KEY POINT Does the environment have a negative effect on our health?
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
19. Effect on health of exposure to environmental factors: - Intake of heavy metals through diet. - Toxicity & infection from food & water
he environment in which people live, work and spend their leisure time is a major determining factor in their health and well-being, but its importance is hard to quantify in developed economies.
T
How a poor quality environment affects health depends on many other factors (genetic make-up, diet, lifestyle, age, sex, etc.) which combine in different ways over different periods of time. It is therefore very difficult to establish cause and effect relationships, especially if the environmental impact on health is delayed or is the result of a combination of many different environmental factors none of which is significant in isolation.
78
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
There is a serious lack of data on exposure, effects and the biological models by which they are related. Many problems, such as atmospheric pollution, noise, water pollution, waste, climate change, chemicals and non ionising radiation, are shrouded in considerable uncertainty. There are currently no data series which directly list the effects of the environment on human health in the BAC. It is intended to draw up a system for monitoring health risks originating from the environment which will include indicators enabling trends to be measured for certain causes of morbidity and mortality in which environmental risks are a particularly sensitive factor.
Indicator 19. EFFECTS ON HEALTH RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
INDICATOR 19.
Effects on Health Related to Exposure to Environmental Factors
No samples containing more than the permitted tolerable intake of the four heavy metals were collected in any year from 1990 to 2000. The downward trend since 1990 in the number of outbreaks and the number of persons affected by food poisoning has turned into a slight upward trend over the past four years, while the number of outbreaks and number of persons affected by waterbased infections has dropped considerably.
Monitoring the chemical safety of foodstuffs is a way of analysing and examining the health risks posed by potentially dangerous substances in food. To assess the risks to human health posed by exposure to contaminants in food, the intake of the population must be learned and compared with suitable toxicological reference figures. The metal content of foodstuffs originating from plants and animals depends on many factors, such as environmental conditions (air, water and soil pollution levels) and the ways in which food is produced and processed. Outbreaks of infections and poisoning caused by food and water must be officially declared, and the Epidemiological Monitoring Network of the BAC must be informed immediately. This provides a morbidity indicator that can be used to identify etiological agents and determine what foodstuffs are involved, where the problem occurred (restaurants, bars, school canteens, private residences, etc.) and what factors contributed to it. This information is useful, and indeed necessary, for decision-making processes in seeking to develop programmes to counteract and prevent these problems.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Reduce harmful emissions of radiation and noise. – Promote all-round management of health at work and the environment. – Ensure food safety.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Intake of Heavy Metals (Lead, Cadmium, Mercury & Arsenic) through Diet The Basque Government Health Department analyses the total organic and inorganic lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic intake in the total diet of the BAC. The figures calculated vary from 1 to 40% of the relevant reference figures: in none of the years examined were samples obtained with levels above the permitted tolerable intake for any of the four elements. Lead and cadmium intakes are calculated by determining levels in all dietary groups. Lead levels have been monitored continually since 1990. Cadmium monitoring covers two periods: from 1990 to 1997 and from 2000 onwards. Initial measurements of arsenic and mercury intake also covered all dietary groups, but since fish was the only group in which appreciable levels were found, measurements have been taken only in that group since 1992. In the case of arsenic overall levels and also inorganic arsenic levels are monitored, as the latter is the most toxic form (and indeed the only one for which a tolerable intake limit has been set). The graphics below show the changes in these intake levels from 1990 to 2000.
HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
79
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
LEAD INTAKE
MERCURY INTAKE
300
60 Tolerable lead level: 243 µg/day
250
50 40 µg/day
µg/day
200 150 Lead intake
100
30 20
50
10
0
0 1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
1990
CADMIUM INTAKE 180
70
160
1994
1996
1998
2000
Tolerable inorganic arsenic level: 145.7 µg/day
140
Tolerable cadmium level: 69 µg/day
120 µg/day
50 40 Cadmium intake
30
1992
INORGANIC ARSENIC INTAKE
80
60 µg/day
Tolerable mercury level: 49 µg/day
Mercury intake
100 80 60
20
Inorganic arsenic intake
40
10
20
0 1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
0
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
INORGANIC ARSENIC INTAKE
µg/day
3 2
2.1
2 2.3
1.5
1.7
1 0 1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Source: Basque Govt. Health Department.
Infections Originating from Food and Water The drop which began to be detected in 1990 has stopped, and in recent years a slight increase has been observed. In infections originating in water it must be taken into account that although the number of outbreaks has dropped consi-
80
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
derably, a single outbreak can affect large numbers of people if the public water supply is compromised, as occurred in the outbreak in 1999.
Indicator 19. EFFECTS ON HEALTH RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
OUTBREAKS PER YEAR OF FOOD POISONING & Nº OF PERSONS AFFECTED 60
3,550
Nº of outbreaks
Persons affected by food poisoning
1,050
30 20
550 50
2,550 Nº affected
40 1,550
Nº of outbreaks
Nº affected
3,050
50
2,050
18 Nº of outbreaks
14 12
2,050
10
1,550
8 6
1,050
10
550
0
50
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
16
Persons affected by infections from water
4 2 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Source: Basque Govt. Health Department.
IRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Have a system for monitoring environmental risks to health in place by 2003 that indicates the intensity, distribution and development of those risks and assesses the specific health risks involved. • Have a system in place by 2003 for monitoring the adverse effects on health originating in the environment which can measure changes and trends in certain causes of morbidity and mortality which are particularly closely related to environmental risks. • Set in place a health risk assessment system for risks arising from exposure through diet to persistent chemicals originating in the environment • Set up an integrated plan for the prevention and monitoring of the leading infections from foodstuffs by 2006, covering the process from primary production to end consumers.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Medium
Work is to continue towards drawing up an indicator to link health and the environment, covering such questions as the influence on health of atmospheric pollution.
Basque Government Health Department. MONITORING OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION OF FOODSTUFFS IN THE BASQUE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY http://www.euskadi.net/sanidad/publicaciones/seguridad_c.htm
Basque Government Health Department. IMPACT ON HEALTH OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION IN GREATER BILBAO. PROJECT APHEIS 1998-2000 http://www.euskadi.net/sanidad/publicaciones/boletin/boletin 12/6-12-02_c.htm
HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
81
Nº of outbreaks
2,550
OUTBREAKS PER YEAR OF INFECTIONS ORIGINATING IN WATER & Nº OF PERSONS AFFECTED
Business and the Environment
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Business and the Environment ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Ensure clean, healthy air, water and soil
KEY POINT
ASSESSMENT
What progress are Basque companies 20. Environmental management making in integrating environmental systems at companies concerns into their day to day work?
ommitment by business to the environment means being aware of the impact which the activities of a company can have and acting with a sense of responsibility and competitiveness, i.e. incorporating the environment as a variable in the day-to-day management of a company and assuming it as a challenge and an opportunity rather than an expense. This calls for mechanisms to prevent and minimise the environmental impact of a firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities.
C
By rationalising and optimising the use of raw materials, packaging, transport, water and energy (e.g. by recycling), expenses can be cut and further potential savings can be identified. When raw material consumption is reduced, so are the quantity and toxicity of waste, emissions and discharges. This not only improves the environment but also reduces the direct cost of proper environmental waste management and the time required for treatment.
84
INDICATOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
According to the "ecology barometer" study for 2002 in the BAC, almost 90% of Basque industrial firms have made improvements in their environmental practices in the last two years, but that effort is not recognised by the public, and industry continues to be seen as the main culprit of environmental problems. However, the environment is not currently seen as a strategic factor by business: its main priorities continue to be quality of products and services, selling well, filling order books and achieving high productivity. It is businesses which work in EFQM (Total Quality) environments that are most interested in matters of management excellence and that allocate the highest priority to environmental concerns. The main factor inducing businesses to make improvements in their environmental performance is still compulsory legislation.
Indicator 20. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AT COMPANIES
INDICATOR 20.
Environmental Management Systems at Companies
In the past four years the number of Basque companies holding environmental management certificates has increased 15-fold.
Environmental management means managing those company activities currently have, have had or may have an impact on the environment. The goal is to preserve the environment, limit pollutant emissions and environmental risks and ensure safety in the workplace. Systems such as the EU’s EMAS (Environmental Management and Audit System) and ISO standard 14001 are designed to establish working practices conducive to positive environmental action. As a preliminary step towards ISO 14001 or EMAS, the Basque Country has developed Ekoscan, a tool for environmental diagnosis and for setting up a plan of action for environmental improvement at companies. The annual reports of those companies which certify their environmental management systems under EMAS or ISO14001 provide a yardstick for measuring the extent to which industry has integrated environmental concerns into its operations. Voluntary environmental management systems are intended to provide private companies and
public services with a tool for setting up profitable preventive environmental programmes. These systems are based on the application of clear, objective guidelines, a clear division of responsibilities and procedures for monitoring behaviour in environmental matters and assessing results. It is most important that operations should be improved continually. Environmental management systems are therefore an important instrument for improving the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES – Encourage monitoring of the application of legislation via the EMAS environmental management system. – Promote environmental management systems, environment reports, etc. – Promote clean production systems. – Prevent and minimise waste at source, thus reducing the amount and harmfulness of waste.
BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
85
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
NUMBER OF COMPANIES WITH ISO 14001, EMAS & EKOSCAN 700 600
Nº of companies
500
Target for the BAC for 2006: 600 certified companies
254 ompanies with ISO 14001/EMAS certificates
400 300
142 companies with Ekoscan
200 100 0 1998
1999
2000
2001
2006
Source: Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS The number of companies implementing environmental management systems is steadily increasing. In 2001 there were 248 Basque companies with ISO 14001 certificates, and 6 with EMAS. Even so, the number of companies with environmental management systems still represents no more than a small percentage of the total. By 2001, 142 Basque companies had carried out an Ekoscan (compared to just 2 in 1998) as the first step towards implementing an environmental management system.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Have at least 50 Basque firms EMAS certified by 2006. • Have 10 Basque companies draw up GRI sustainability reports by 2006, and 40 by 2012. • Reach 600 companies with certified environmental management systems (EMAS or ISO 14001) by 2006 and 1000 by 2012.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
High
IHOBE. ISO 14001 http://www.ihobe.net/herramientas/iso14/iso14.htm
86
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Authorities and the Environment
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Authorities and the Environment ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL
KEY POINT
Integrate How much do the Basque public environmental authorities invest in protecting the variables into other environment? policies
s the main promoter of continuous environmental improvement in Basque society, the public authorities are attempting to improve matters by solving specific problems and by designing and developing policies for the future. Their action should act as a major driving force for sectoral players.
A
The ways in which the authorities seek to meet the targets set in environment policies include: • land use and regulatory measures; • concerted action, • economic, financial and fiscal measures; and • tutoring and environmental management.
88
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
21. Public sector spending on environmental protection
All these measures are intended to help bring about desired changes in the conduct of the public and of businesses. The only indicator currently available which reflects the relationship between the authorities and the environment is public spending on environmental protection. However, work is ongoing to produce new indicators which will reflect green public procurement and purchasing, environment-based fiscal reforms, etc.
Indicator 21. PUBLIC SECTOR SPENDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
INDICATOR 21.
Public Sector Spending on Environmental Protection
From 1995 to 2001 a progressive increase in public sector spending on the environment is observed which totals 53% over the full period. However the percentage of total spending remains more or less the same.
Spending on environmental protection currently means current and capital expenditure on operations specifically aimed at protecting the environment and the exploitation of natural resources, i.e. operations to implement or fund activities on the CEPA (Classification of Environmental Protection Activities) single European statistical classification list. This means that spending on environmentally beneficial operations which is made mainly for technical or economic reasons, for hygiene or for safety is not counted. As well as helping improve the environment (which in itself justifies its existence), this spending has proved to be beneficial in terms of employment, output and income.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; To reach the environmental goals laid down in the Environmental Framework Programme 2002-2006.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS From 1995 to 2001, public spending on the environment and on natural resource management increased by 53% to 437 million euros. However the proportion of total public spending represented by spending on the environment stood at 5.82% in 1999: the same as in 1995.
AUTHORITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
89
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
PUBLIC SPENDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 800 700
6.49% 5.82%
Millions of €
6.39%
7%
5.82%
6.38%
600
8%
% of total public spending represented by public spending on environmental protection
6%
500
437 372
400
377 391
286
300
418
4% 3%
329
200
2%
Public spending on the environment
100 0 1995
5%
1%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
0% 2001
Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment, EUSTAT.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME UNDERTAKINGS • Meet the commitments set forth in the Environmental Framework Programme 2002-2006.
90
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Medium
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SPENDING AND INVESTMENT BY THE BASQUE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/ Impactoecon.pdf.
Ecoefficiency Indicators
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Ecoefficiency Indicators ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Achieve greater well-being with less environmental resources
KEY POINT
INDICATOR
ASSESSMENT
Are we de-linking the growth of our 22. Overall and sectoral economy from negative ecoefficiency: environmental impacts? - Economy in general - Transport - Industry – Primary sector - Residential sector - Energy processing
ll economic activities have environmental consequences: the production and consumption of the goods and services demanded by society imply consumption of natural resources and the production of waste, emissions and discharges which have a clear effect on the state of the environment.
A
One of the main aims of sustainable development policies is to break the link between the growth of economic activities and the negative environmental impact thus produced. This is known as de-linking. The concept of "ecoefficiency" was developed to study this relationship. It refers to the quantity of economic activity generated per unit of environment used. Increasing ecoefficiency should therefore be the prime goal of any environmentally sustainable policy.
92
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
The two main ways of increasing ecoefficiency are: • improving technologies and/ or replacing materials with less environmentally unfriendly alternatives in output; • cutting domestic consumption. The key question for the future is how overall ecoefficiency can be improved. At present, increases in ecoefficiency on the production side are not being matched by drops in consumption. The evidence suggests that improvements in ecoefficiency in production are actually being more than offset by increases in consumer demand.
Indicator 22. OVERALL & SECTORAL ECOEFFICIENCY
INDICATOR 22. Overall & Sectoral Ecoefficiency Economy in general: Economic growth increased from 1990 to 1997, while pressure on the environment dropped. However, from 1997 onwards all the environmental pressures considered increased by more than the GDP. Transport: Pressure is increasing by more than its contribution to overall economic growth. Industry: In the past 10 years pressure on the environment from industry has dropped in relation to economic growth, but some pressures have increased by more than output since 1997. Primary sector: Pressure on the environment is increasing by more than the wealth generated by this sector. Residential sector: Pressure exerted by this sector in recent years has increased by more than the associated increase in private spending. Energy processing: Growth in energy production is accompanied by greater increases in GHG emissions.
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; This indicator measures the economic growth and its negative impact on the environment.
environment greater than that of the GDP (except in the total nitrogen load in water). This represents a worrying downturn in ecoefficiency in these most recent years. All sectors of the Basque economy have contributed to these changes, as shown by the sectoral analyses below.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND TRENDS Economic activity (money and output) are measured, along with pressure on the environment.
Ecoefficiency of the Basque Economy Between 1990 and 2000 the GDP of the Basque Country increased by a higher rate than any of the main pressures on the environment except municipal waste. The wealth generated by Basque society increased by 37%, and the unemployment rate dropped by 15%. Meanwhile, pressure on the environment increased by less than the GDP (GHG 25%, energy consumption 23%, TMR 20%), and actually decreased in some cases (acidifying substances â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2%). Only in per capita municipal waste production (47%) was the rate of increase higher than that of the GDP. An analysis of the period from 1990 to 2000 thus shows a decrease in the main pressures on the environment in relation to economic growth, i.e. we have become more ecoefficient. However, the figures for the last four years of the period (1997-2000) reveal rates of increase in pressures on the
ECOEFFICIENCY INDICATORS
93
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE BASQUE ECONOMY (1990-2000) 160 MSW per capita +47%
150 140
GDP +37%
1990 = 100
130
GHG +25%
120
TMR +20%
110 100 90
Unemployment rate -15%
Energy consumption +23%
80
Acidifying substances +2%
70 1990 1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE BASQUE ECONOMY (1997-2000)
Acidifying substances +44%
160
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
GHG +39%
140
Energy consumption +30% TMR +27%
1997 = 100
120
MSW +21% GDP +17%
100
Emissions of acidifying substances Final energy consumption Gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices & constant prices based on 1990 Total Material Requirement (TMR) Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) produced per capita
80
Unemployment rate -25%
Unemployment rate Total nitrogen load in water (Total N)
60 40 1997
Total N -55%
Preliminary data Estimated data
1998
1999
2000
Note: Total nitrogen load in water for 1997 is based on figures obtained in 1998. Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment, EVE, EUSTAT.
The Transport Sector The wealth (GAV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gross Added Value) generated by the transport sector increased by 31% over the ten years considered. This increase was accompanied by a rise of 70% in GHG emissions 8% in acidifying substances, 30% in tropospheric ozone precursors and 68% in energy consumption. This sector can therefore be considered to be firmly linked, as the pressure it exerts on the environment increases by a rate higher than that of its contribution to the economy.
94
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Indicator 22. OVERALL & SECTORAL ECOEFFICIENCY
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE TRANSPORT SECTOR 190 Energy consumption +68%
170 1990 = 100
GHG: +70%
Km. of motorways & dual carriageways: +37%
150 130
GAV: +31% TOP: +30%
110 90 70 1990
Acidifying substances +8%
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Final energy consumption
Emissions of acidifying substances
Gross Added Value (GAV) at constant market prices based on 1990
Tropospheric ozone precursor (TOP) emissions
2000
Km. of motorways & dual carriageways
Preliminary data
Note: All data refer solely to the transport sector except GAV, which also includes the communications sector. Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment, EVE, EUSTAT.
Industry From 1990 to 1993, energy consumption and GHG emissions increased by more than the rate of increase in output. From 1993 onwards industrial output began to de-link from the pressure it exerted on the environment, but since
1997 this trend has reversed, with emissions (except those of acidifying substances) and energy consumption by the sector reverting to rates of increase higher than those of output.
ECOEFFICIENCY OF INDUSTRY 150 IPI: +38%
140
1990 = 100
130 120 110
HW: +12%
100 90 Acidifying substances: -9%
80 70 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Industrial Production Index (IPI)
Emissions of acidifying substances
Production of hazardous waste (HW)
Energy consumption
Energy consumption -4%
GHG: -3%
1999
2000
Estimated data
Nota: All these data refer solely to industry. Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment, EVE, EUSTAT.
ECOEFFICIENCY INDICATORS
95
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Primary Sector
Residential Sector
The performance of the farming sector is peculiar: between 1990 and 2000 a 16% drop is observed in the wealth generated by the sector, accompanied by a 1% fall in domestic biomass extraction. At the same time, the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy consumption increased by 64%, and its emissions of greenhouse gases by 10%.
Pressure on the environment from the residential sector is highly significant, and the trend observed is worrying. Since 1990 municipal waste production has increased by 47%, the number of cars by 35%, energy consumption by 43% and GHG emissions by 27%. Alongside these increases, private sector spending has increased by 22%.
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE PRIMARY SECTOR 180 Energy consumption +64%
1990 = 100
160 140
Biomass extraction: -1%
120 GHG: +10%
100 GAV: -16%
80 60 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1999
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Domestic biomass extraction
Energy consumption
Gross Added Value (GAV) at constant market prices based on 1990
Preliminary data
Note: All these data refer solely to the primary sector. Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment; Basque Govt. Dept. of Agriculture and Fisheries; EUSTAT.
96
1998
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
2000
Indicator 22. OVERALL & SECTORAL ECOEFFICIENCY
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR 160
MSW per capita +47%
150 Energy consumption +43%
1990 = 100
140 130
Nยบ of cars +35%
120
Private sector spending: +22%
110
GHG: +27%
100 90 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Nยบ of cars per 1000 head of population
Energy consumption
Municipal solid waste (MSW) production per capita
Private sector spending
2000
Preliminary data
Note: All these data refer solely to the residential sector. Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment, EVE, EUSTAT.
Two conclusions can be drawn from this. In the first place, the increase in private sector spending is accompanied by an increase in pressure on the environment. In the second place, the rate of that increase is greater than the rate of increase in private sector spending.
Energy Processing Sector Energy production in the Basque Country increased by 7% from 1990 to 2000, and the GAV of the sector increased by 20%. These increases were accompanied by greater rates of increase in some pressures on the environment, e.g. GHG emissions, which rose by 29%.
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE ENERGY PROCESSING SECTOR 140 GHG: +29%
GAV: +20%
1990 = 100
120 Energy production: +7%
100
Acidifying substances: -3%
80 60 40 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Energy production
Emissions of acidifying substance
Gross Added Value (GAV) at constant market prices based on 1990
2000
Preliminary data Note: All these data refer solely to the energy processing sector except GAV, which also includes data from the oil refining sector and from the electricity, gas and water sector. Source: Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment, EVE, EUSTAT.
ECOEFFICIENCY INDICATORS
97
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
QUALITY OF INFORMATION:
Medium
ENERGY IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY http://www.eve.es/castellano/frames/grupo_eve5.html
Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment INVENTORY OF EMISSIONS OF CO2 & OTHER GHG’s IN THE BAC (1990-2000) http://www.ihobe.net/Publicaciones/descarga/emisiones.pdf
98
Ente Vasco de la Energía.
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Conclusions
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Conclusions This document presents the full set of environmental indicators drawn up by the Basque Government Department of Land Use and the Environment. These indicators offer the public and decision-makers concise, easily obtainable information on the progress being made in the transition towards a sustainable society in our country.
CONCLUSION 1. What is the trend in environmental matters in the Basque Country? Are we moving in the right direction? A summary and assessment is given below of the trends in the environmental indicators selected and their main points.
However the trend is negative, i.e. we are moving away from our targets, in consumption of natural resources (water, energy, materials & land), waste production (mainly MSW), GHG emissions and local mobility.
The trend is positive in water, air and soil quality, in waste management, in local sustainability (Indicator 17) and sustainability in business (Indicator 20).
OUTLINE OF TRENDS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS OF THE BAC FOR 2002 ENVIRONMENTAL AREA
ENVIRONMENTAL AREA
Water quality
1. Water quality index
PERIOD ANALYSED 1998-2001
TREND
MAJOR POINTS â&#x20AC;˘ From 1998 to 2001 the trend was for the number of river sampling stations classed as "poor" to decrease (from 58% in 1998 to 45% in 2001), and for the number classed as "good" to increase (20% in 1998, 30% in 2001).
QUALITY OF INFORMATION High
â&#x20AC;˘ Estuary and coastal waters also showed a slight improvement on earlier years in 2000 and 2001, with the number of sampling stations with no pollution rising from 18% in 1998 to 25% in 2001.
2. Pollutant loads in inland & coastal waters
100
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
1998-2001
The trend of pollutant loads has been generally positive in recent years, thanks to the installation of drainage and sewerage infrastructures.
Medium
Conclusion 1.
ENVIRONMENTAL AREA
Air quality
INDICATOR
PERIOD ANALYSED
3. Air quality index
1997-2001
TREND
MAJOR POINTS • No "bad air days" were detected in 2000.
QUALITY OF INFORMATION Medium
• In terms of SO2, air quality has improved considerably since 1996. • In terms of NO2 there has been some improvement in recent years, with less stations now detecting annual average NO2 levels beyond current limits. • Overall levels of particles in suspension have also improved appreciably in the last two years.
4. Emissions of atmospheric pollutants
1990-2000
• Between 1990 and 2000 emissions of acidifying substances increased by 2.2%, while emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors increased by 3.2%.
Medium
• A downward trend was observed in NOx, SO2 and VOC’s until 1998, when there was an upturn, with increases of more than 30% in NOx and SO2.
Soil quality
Consumption of natural resources
5. Contaminated soil areas investigated & remediated
1990-2001
Between 1990 and 2001 84 potentially contaminated sites totalling 450 hectares were investigated, and remediation was carried out on 38 sites totalling 192 hectares.
High
6. Water consumption
1996-1999
Water consumption rose by 18% from 1996 to 1999. Between them, industry and services account for 46% of consumption, and home use for 41%.
Medium
7. Energy consumption:
High
a. Energy consumption
1990-2000
Total energy consumption increased by 23% from 1990 to 2000.
b. Energy intensity
1990-2000
Energy intensity improved by 10% from 1990 to 2000.
8. Consumption of materials:
Waste
High
a. TMR
1990-2000
Total consumption of material resources is very high, and increased sharply from 77 tonnes per person in 1990 to 92 tonnes in 2000, compared to an EU average of around 50 tonnes per person.
b. Material efficiency
1990-2000
Efficiency in the use of material resources has increased by 15% since 1990, i.e. consumption of material resources increased at a lower rate than economic growth in the last decade (relative de-linking).
9. Intensity of artificialisation of soil
1996-1999
From 1996 to 1999 the residential land area increased by 20% and the area occupied by economic activities by 25%.
Low
10. Waste production
1990-2001
• Urban waste produced in 2001 totalled 478 kg. per capita. Municipal waste increased by 66% from 1990 to 2001.
Medium
• In 2000 just over 327,000 tonnes of hazardous waste was produced: 12% more than in 1994.
11. Waste management
1990-2001
• Selective refuse collection for municipal waste increased 16-fold from 1990 to 2001. • However the percentage of municipal waste sent to dump sites remained practically unchanged at 88% from 1996 to 2001. • Considerable progress has been made in hazardous waste management, from 72% of waste managed in 1994 to 100% from 1998 onwards.
High
CONCLUSIONS
101
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL AREA
Greenhouse gas emissions & climate change
INDICATOR
MAJOR POINTS
1990-2000
From 1990 to 2000 direct emissions of the main greenhouse gases generated in the Basque Country increased by 25%.
b. Emissions & GDP
1990-2000
The link between greenhouse gases and GDP weakened by 8.76% between 1990 and 2000.
Urban environment
14. Local mobility
â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
1990-1999
No data on the situation of this indicator are currently available.
Low
From 1990 to 2000 the number of vehicles and the length of the motorway and dual carriageway network increased by over 30%. The number of journeys to and from work by car increased from 38% of the total in 1989 to 47% in 1999.
Low
No data are currently available on the situation of this indicator.
Low
15. Population exposed to noise above WHO recommended levels
â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
16. Urban air quality
1997-2001
Urban air quality has improved over the past 5 years, with reductions of annual average levels of NO2, SO2 and total suspended particles at most sampling stations.
High
17. Local Agenda 21 schemes in Basque municipalities
1998-2001
32 Basque municipalities have signed the Aalborg Charter, 56 are involved in Local Agenda 21 schemes and 14 of them have already designed their Local Agenda.
High
18. Incidents with environmental repercussions
1995-2001
The number of incidents with environmental repercussions increased gradually from 1995 to 1999. 2000 and 2001 saw a downturn in industrial accidents, but not in those arising from transport.
High
19. Effects on health related to exposure to environmental factors:
Medium
- Intake of heavy metals through diet
1990-2000
No samples containing more than the permitted tolerable intake of the four heavy metals were collected in any year from 1990 to 2000.
- Toxicity & infection from food & water
1990-2000
The downward trend since 1990 in the number of outbreaks and the number of persons affected by food poisoning has turned into a slight upward trend over the past four years, while the number of outbreaks and number of persons affected by water-based infections has dropped considerably.
Business & the environment
20. Environmental management systems at companies
1998-2001
In the past four years the number of Basque companies holding environmental management certificates has increased 15-fold.
Authorities & the environment
21. Public sector spending on environmental protection
1995-2001
From 1995 to 2001 a progressive increase in public sector spending on the environment is observed which totals 53% over the full period. However the percentage of total spending remains more or less the same.
102
QUALITY OF INFORMATION High
a. GHG emissions
13. Biodiversity & landscape index
Health & the environment
TREND
12. Amount of greenhouse gas emissions
Biodiversity & landscape
Environment Risks
PERIOD ANALYSED
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
High
Medium
Conclusion 1.
ENVIRONMENTAL AREA
Ecoefficiency indicators (de-linking)
INDICATOR
PERIOD ANALYSED
TREND
MAJOR POINTS
22. Overall & sectoral ecoefficiency:
QUALITY OF INFORMATION Medium
- Economy in general
1990-2000
Economic growth increased from 1990 to 1997, while pressure on the environment dropped. However, from 1997 onwards all the environmental pressures considered increased by more than the GDP.
- Transport
1990-2000
Pressure is increasing by more than its contribution to overall economic growth.
- Industry
1990-2000
In the past 10 years pressure on the environment from industry has dropped in relation to economic growth, but some pressures have increased by more than output since 1997.
- Primary sector
1990-2000
Pressure on the environment is increasing by more than the wealth generated by this sector.
- Residential sector
1990-2000
Pressure exerted by this sector in recent years has increased by more than the associated increase in private spending.
- Energy processing
1990-2000
Growth in energy production is accompanied by greater increases in GHG emissions.
CONCLUSIONS
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THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
CONCLUSION 2. Are we improving the quality of our water, air and soil? TRENDS IN POLLUTANT LOADS IN WATER (nutrients)
TRENDS IN POLLUTANT LOADS IN WATER (heavy metals)
140
140
120
120
100
100
80
Total P: -33%
60
PO4-P: -39%
40
Total N: -62%
1998 = 100
1998 = 100
Copper: +36%
80
Mercury: -37%
60
Cadmium: -38%
40
Zinc: -61%
Nitrates: -75%
20
20 Lead: -88%
Ammonia: -93%
0 1998
1999
2000
0 1998
2001
1999
2000
2001
AIR QUALITY LEVELS IN DAYS PER ZONE. 2000 400 345
350 294
Nº of days
300
284
248
250
220 190
200
175
175
188
141
150 113
100
74
69
Very good
50 0
4
Bajo Nervión
1
Deba
2
2
0
Alto Donostialdea Llanada Nervión Alavesa
Good
17
7
0
Ibaizabal
Moderate
Oria
CONTAMINATED SOIL AREAS REMEDIATED 250
40 35
Hectares
200 150
Target for BAC by 2006: 34 publicly owned soil areas remediated
100
Nº of publicly owned sites remediated Cumulative surface area
50 0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2006
The graphs show a clear trend towards improvement in the quality of the waters of our rivers and sea, in the air we breathe in our towns and cities and in the extend of the contaminated soil areas being remediated.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Nº of sites
Nº of sites remediated
Conclusion 3.
CONCLUSION 3. Are we reducing our consumption of natural resources? Are we reducing the amount of waste we produce? Are we managing waste properly?
MATERIAL & ENERGY EFFICIENCY
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES 130
140
125
130
Land consumption: +24%
Energy consumption: +25%
1996 = 100
115
Consumption of materials: +23%
Water consumption: +18%
110
110 100
105
90
100
80
95
70
90 1996
1997
1998
1999
Energy efficiency: +11%
120
1990 = 100
120
Material efficiency: +14%
60 1990
2000
1992
Preliminary data
As can be seen on the graph for consumption of natural resources, consumption of all resources (water, energy, materials & land) has increased considerably in recent years.
2000
400,000 350,000
478
500
MSW produced per capita
400
300,000
Tonnes
Kg. per cรกpita
1998
Provisional data
PRODUCTION & VALORISATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE (tonnes)
600
289
327,138
Production of hazardous waste
290,888
200,000 150,000
200
106,777
100,000 80,285
100 0
1996
Energy efficiency increased by 11% over the whole period from 1990 to 2000, and material efficiency by 14%, though in the most recent years efficiency has decreased in both cases.
PRODUCTION & SELECTIVE COLLECTION OF MSW (kg. per capita)
300
1994
Preliminary data
53 3
1990
2001
MSW recycled per capita
Valorisation of hazardous waste
5,000 0 1994
2000
The amount of MSW and hazardous waste we produce is increasing continuously, with MSW in particular up by 66% from 1990 to 2001. However, waste management is improving: the amount of MSW recycled is rising rapidly, as is the amount of hazardous waste valorised.
CONCLUSIONS
105
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
CONCLUSION 4. To what extent are we contributing to climate change? GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (millions of tonnes of CO2 equivalent) 20 18.58
18 16
Millions of tonnes
14 14.82 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
In the year 2000 we emitted 18 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and the trend is upward.
106
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
1999
2000
Conclusion 5.
CONCLUSION 5. How much do the Basque public authorities invest in protecting the environment? What progress are our town councils making towards local sustainability? PUBLIC SECTOR SPENDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 800
8%
700
6.49% 5.82%
6.39%
7%
5.82%
6.38%
600
Millions of €
Public spending on the environment as a % of total public spending
6%
500
437 372
400
377 391
286
300
4%
418
3%
329
200
2%
Public spending on the environment (millions of €)
100 0 1995
5%
1%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
0% 2001
In spite of increases in the absolute amount of public spending on environmental protection over the past 6 years, the percentage of total spending devoted to the environment remains practically unchanged.
BASQUE MUNICIPALITIES INVOLVED IN LOCAL AGENDA 21 PROCESSES (as of July 2002)
ARABA
BIZKAIA
GIPUZKOA
Agurain
Abanto Zierbena
Fruiz
Andoain
Oiartzun
Amurrio
Alonsotegi
Gamiz-Fika
Aretxabaleta
Tolosa
Asparrena
Arantzazu
Gernika-Lumo
Arrasate
Urretxu
Laudio
Areatza
Getxo
Astigarraga
Villabona
Valdegovia
Arrieta
Gordexola
Azkoitia
Zarautz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Artea
Igorre
Azpeitia
Zumarraga
Bakio
Laukiz
Deba
Balmaseda
Lemoa
Donostia-San Sebastián
Barakaldo
Mallabia
Eibar
Basauri
Meñaka
Elgoibar
Bilbao
Mungia
Ezkio-Itsaso
Dima
Santurtzi
Irun
Elorrio
Sopuerta
Legazpi
Erandio
Zeanuri
Mendaro
Ermua
Mutriku
Note: Bold print denotes municipalities which have designed their own Local Agenda 21.
Over the past 3 years a highly positive trend has been observed in the involvement of Basque town halls in sustainability: the number of municipalities involved in Local Agenda 21 processes has increased 14-fold.
CONCLUSIONS
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THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
CONCLUSION 6. Is our ecoefficiency improving? i.e. Are we breaking the link between economic growth and negative environmental impact? ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE BASQUE ECONOMY (1990-2000)
ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE BASQUE ECONOMY (1997-2000)
160
Acidifying substances +44%
160
MSW per capita +47%
150
GHG +39%
140
140
Energy consumption +30%
GDP +37%
TMR +27% GHG +25%
120 1997 = 100
120
TMR +20%
110
MSW +21% GDP +17%
100 80
100 90
Unemployment rate -15%
Energy consumption +23%
80 70 1990 1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Unemployment rate -25%
60
Acidifying substances +2%
Total N -55%
40 1997 1996
1997
1998
1999
1998
1999
2000
2000
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) production per capita
Emissions of acidifying substances
Unemployment rate
Final energy consumption
Total nitrogen load in water (Total N)
Gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices & constant prices based on 1990
Preliminary data Estimated data
Total Material Requirement (TMR)
Analysis of the period from 1990 to 2000 shows a drop in the main pressures on the environment associated with economic growth (GDP), i.e. an improvement in ecoefficiency. However, an analysis of the four years from 1997 to 2000 shows that many environmental pressures have increased at rates higher than that of economic growth, indicating a worrying downturn in ecoefficiency. ECOEFFICIENCY OF THE TRANSPORT AND RESIDENTIAL SECTORS 180 170 GHG from transport: +70%
160 150 1990 = 100
1990 = 100
130
Residential MSW per capita +47%
140
Km. of motorways & dual carriageways: +37%
130 120
TOP from transport: +30%
110 100 90 1990
Residential GHG: +27%
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the residential sector Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) production per capita GHG emissions from the transport sector (GHG trans.)
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Tropospheric ozone precursors emitted by the transport sector (TOP trans.) Km. of motorways & dual carriageways
It is in the transport and residential sectors that the links are strongest, i.e. where increases in activity are most closely associated with greater increases in environmental impact.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Conclusion 7.
CONCLUSION 7. What are the main environmental challenges for the future? The table below summarises the trends in those environmental indicators for which there is a target laid down in the Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy 20022020, the Environmental Framework Programme 2002-
2006 or EU policies and directives. These indicators represent the main challenges for the future in environmental matters in the Basque Country.
TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS IN RELATION TO TARGETS INDICATOR
INDEX (base year)
INDEX (last year)
100 (1998) 100 (1998) 100 (1998) 100 (1998) 100 (1998)
67 (2001) 61 (2001) 38 (2001) 25 (2001) 7 (2001)
100 (1998) 100 (1998) 100 (1998) 100 (1998) 100 (1998)
136 (2001 63 (2001) 62 (2001) 39 (2001) 12 (2001)
100 (1990) 100 (1990) 100 (1990) 100 (1990) 100 (1990)
102 (2000) 103 (2000) 79 (2000) 121 (2000) 77 (2000)
Reduction Reduction 36 (2010) 73 (2010) 35 (2010)
100 (1998)
450 (2001)
850 (2006)
100 (1996)
118 (1999)
Reduction
100 (1990) 100 (1990)
123 (2000) 90 (2000)
Reduction Reduction
100 (1990) 100 (1990)
120 (2000) 114 (2000)
105 (2006) Increase
100 (1996)
124 (1999)
Reduction
100 (1990) 100 (1994)
160 (2001) 112 (2000)
160 (2012) 112 (2006)
100 (1990) 88% (1996) 28% (1994)
1,500 (2001) 88% (2001) 33% (2000)
Increase 75% (2006) 49% (2006)
100 (1990)
125 (2000)
115 (2008-2012)
100 (1990) 100 (1990)
136 (1999) 133 (1999)
Reduction Reduction
100 (2002)
100 (2002)
485 (2006)
100 (1998)
1,482 (2001)
3,529 (2006)
100 (1995)
153 (2001)
Increase
100 (1994)
100 (1999)
Increase
TARGET (year) or desired trend
02. Pollutant loads in inland & coastal waters Nutrients: - Total P ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. - PO4P........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ - Total N .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. - Nitrates ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ - Ammonia ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... Heavy metals: - Copper ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... - Mercury ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. - Cadmium ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... - Zinc.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... - Lead ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Decrease total pollutant loads discharged to 50% of 2001 levels by 2006
04. . Emissions of atmospheric pollutants a. Emissions of acidifying substances ...................................................................................................................................... b. Emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors ......................................................................................................... c. SO2 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... d. NOx ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... e. VOC’s ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
05. Contaminated soil - Remediation of publicly owned contaminated land
......................................................................................
06. Water consumption 07. Energy consumption a. Energy consumption .................................................................................................................................................................................. b. Energy intensity ...............................................................................................................................................................................................
08. Consumption of materials a. Total Material Requirement ............................................................................................................................................................ b. Material efficiency ......................................................................................................................................................................................
09. Intensity of artificialisation of land (land consumption) 10. Waste production a. MSW ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ b. Hazardous waste ............................................................................................................................................................................................
11. Gestión de residuos a. Selective kerbside collection of MSW .............................................................................................................................. b. % of MSW sent to dump sites ................................................................................................................................................... c. % of hazardous waste valorised ..............................................................................................................................................
12. Greenhouse gas emissions 14. Local mobility a. Nº of cars per 1000 inhabitants ............................................................................................................................................. b. Km. of motorways & dual carriageways .......................................................................................................................
17. Local Agenda 21 schemes in Basque munic. with over 5000 inhabitants 20. Environmental management systems at companies - ISO 14001/EMAS certificate
............................................................................................................................................................
21. Public sector spending on environmental protection a. Public sector spending on environmental protection ................................................................................. b. Percentage of total public spending accounted for by spending on the environment .........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Note: Indicators 1, 3, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 19 are not included here as no data in index form is available for them. Indicator 22 is already in index form.
CONCLUSIONS
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THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
SUMMARY OF TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS IN RELATION TO TARGETS
2. Pollutant loads in inland and coastal waters.
4a. Emissions of acidifying substances.
4d. NOx emissions.
5. Publicly owned contaminated sites remediated.
4b. Emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors.
7a. Energy consumption.
7b. Energy intensity.
4c. S02 emissions.
8b. Material efficiency.
4e. VOC emissions.
11a. Selective kerbside collection of MSW. 11b. Percentage of MSW sent to dump sites. 11c. Percentage of hazardous waste valorised. 17. Local Agenda 21 schemes in Basque municipalities with over 5000 inhabitants.
6. Water consumption.
9. Land consumption. 10a. MSW production. 12. GHG emissions.
8a. TMR. 10b. Hazardous waste production.
14. Local mobility (road transport).
20. Certified environmental management systems at companies. 21b. Percentage of total public spending accounted for by spending on environmental protection.
21a. Public sector spending on environmental protection.
Target or trend which may feasibly be met. Target or trend which can probably be met, though more effort is required. Target or trend difficult to meet without major changes in our behaviour patterns and/ or policies.
The biggest challenges for the future are evidently those associated with the middle column, i.e. targets which can probably be met provided that more effort is employed, and those in the right-hand column, i.e. those which will
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
be difficult to meet without major changes. We are moving away from sustainability in all indicators in the latter column.
Appendix 1
Appendix 1: References • Basque Govt. 2002. Environmental Framework Programme of he BAC (2002-2006) – Basque Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2002-2020). http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/ PMA-Cast.pdf
• Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. Medio Ambiente en la CAPV 2001. Diagnóstico. ["The Environment in the Basque Country 2001. Diagnosis"]. http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/Diagnostico_cap1-5.pdf http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/Diagnostico_cap6-9.pdf http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/ Diagnostico_cap10-anexos.pdf
• European Environment Agency 1998. Environment in the European Union at the Turn of the Century. http://reports.eea.eu.int/92-9157-202-0-sum/es/eu_98_es.pdf
• European Environment Agency. Environmental signals 2000. http://reports.eea.eu.int/signals-2000/es
• European Environment Agency. Environmental signals 2001. http://reports.eea.eu.int/signals-2001/en/signals2001
• European Environment Agency. Environmental signals 2002 - Benchmarking the millennium. http://reports.eea.eu.int/environmental_assessment_report_2002_9/en
CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES • European Environment Agency 2000 Sustainable use of Europe’s water? State, prospects and problems. http://reports.eea.eu.int/water_assmnt07/es/water_assmnt07es.pdf
• European Environment Agency 2001. Sustainable water use in Europe - Part 2: Demand management. http://reports.eea.eu.int/Environmental_Issues_No_19/en/Environmen tal_Issues_No_19.pdf
• Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE). Energía’00. Datos energéticos del País Vasco 2000. ["Energy ’00. Basque Country energy data 2000"]. http://www.eve.es/pages/castellano/publicaciones/pdfs/Datos%20energ%E9ticos%202000.pdf
• European Environment Agency 2001. Stefan Bringezu and Helmut Schütz. Total Material Requirement of the European Union. Technical report N.55. http://reports.eea.eu.int/Technical_report_No_55/en/tech55.pdf
• European Environment Agency 2001. Stefan Bringezu and Helmut Schütz. Total Material Requirement of the European Union. Technical part. Technical report N.56. http://reports.eea.eu.int/Technical_report_No56/en/tech56.pdf
• Commission of the European Communities 2002. Towards a thematic strategy for soil protection. COM(2002)179final. http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/com/pdf/2002/com2002_0179es01.pdf
WATER QUALITY • European Environment Agency 1999. Groundwater quality and quantity in Europe. http://reports.eea.eu.int/groundwater07012000/en/ enviassrp199903
• UNEP. European Environment Agency 2002. Feet on the ground: Land degradation and sustainable development in Europe. http://reports.eea.eu.int/Environmental_issue_series_16/es/Spanish% 20soil%20for%20the%20www.pdf
http://reports.eea.eu.int/TEC22/en • European Environment Agency 2001. Eutrophication in Europe's coastal waters. http://reports.eea.eu.int/topic_report_2001_7/en
AIR QUALITY
WASTE • European Environment Agency 2002. Biodegradable municipal waste management in Europe. http://reports.eea.eu.int/topic_report_2001_15/en
• Commission of the European Communities 2001. "Clean Air for Europe" programme: towards a thematic strategy for air quality. COM(2001)245 final.
• European Environment Agency 2001. Hazardous waste generation in EEA member countries.
• Commission of the European Communities 1997. European Union Strategy to Combat Acidification. COM(97)98.
• IHOBE.
http://reports.eea.eu.int/topic_report_2001_14/en/Hazwaste_web.pdf
http://ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/plan_gestion.pdf
SOIL QUALITY • Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. 1998. Inventory of sites housing potentially soil-polluting activities. • Basque Govt. Dept. of Land Use and the Environment. 1998. Investigation of soil contamination in the Basque Country.
EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES & CLIMATE CHANGE • Commission of the European Communities 2000. Communication on EU policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Towards a European Climate Change Programme (ECCP). COM(2000) 88 final. http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/com/cnc/2000/com2000_0088es01.pdf
APPENDICES
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THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
• Commission of the European Communities 2001. Communication on the implementation of the first phase of the European Climate Change Programme. COM(2001) 580 final. http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/com/pdf/2001/com2001_0580es01.pdf
BUSINESS & THE ENVIRONMENT • IHOBE 2002. ISO14001: Alcance, implicaciones y beneficios de un Sistema de Gestión Medioambiental. ["Scope, implications & benefits of an environmental management system"]. http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/ISO14-folleto-C.pdf
BIODIVERSITY & LANDSCAPE • Commission of the European Communities 1998. Communication on a European Community biodiversity strategy. COM(98) 42 final. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/docum/9842es.pdf
• European Environment Agency 2002. Europe's biodiversity biogeographical regions and seas. http://reports.eea.eu.int/report_2002_0524_154909/en
• European Environment Agency 2001. Towards a global biological information infrastructure. http://reports.eea.eu.int/technical_report_2001_70/en
• IIHOBE 2002. Las empresas vascas apuestan por la Gestión Ambiental. ["Basque businesses opt for environmental management"]. http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/descarga/GMA-folleto.pdf
• IHOBE 2000. MANUAL IHOBE ISO 14001: OPERATIVA DE IMPLANTACIÓN. ["IHOBE MANUAL ON ISO 14001: HOW TO IMPLEMENT"]. http://www.ihobe.net/publicaciones/Seleccion/D_ManualISO.htm
• IHOBE 2000. ISO 14001. UNA OPORTUNIDAD PARA SU EMPRESA. ["ISO 14001. AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS"]. • Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/index_en.htm
URBAN ENVIRONMENT
AUTHORITIES & THE ENVIRONMENT
• Commission of the European Communities 1996. EUROPEAN SUSTAINABLE CITIES. REPORT OF THE EXPERT GROUP ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
• Commission of the European Communities 2001. Communication on Community law applicable to public procurement and the possibilities for integrating environmental considerations into public procurement. COM(2001) 274 final.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/rport-es.pdf
• European Environment Agency 1998. Towards Sustainable Development for Local Authorities - Approaches, Experiences and Sources. http://reports.eea.eu.int/GH-07-97-191-EN-C/en
• European Environment Agency 2001. Environmental benchmarking for local authorities: From concept to practice. http://reports.eea.eu.int/Environmental_issues_No_20/en/ envissues20.pdf
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/com/cnc/2001/com2001_0274es01.pdf
ECOEFFICIENCY • European Environment Agency 1999. Making sustainability accountable: Eco-efficiency, resource productivity and innovation. http://reports.eea.eu.int/Topic_report_No_111999/en/ topic_11_1999.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS • European Environment Agency 1998. Environmental Risk Assessment.
HEALTH & THE ENVIRONMENT • European Environment Agency 1996. Environment and Health 1 - Overview and Main European Issues. http://reports.eea.eu.int/92-890-1332-X/en
• European Environment Agency 1997. Air and Health - Local authorities, health and environment. http://reports.eea.eu.int/2599XXX/en
• European Environment Agency 2002. Energy and environment in the European Union. http://reports.eea.eu.int/environmental_issue_report_2002_31/ en/eni-env.pdf
• European Environment Agency 2001. Towards agrienvironmental indicators: Integrating statistical and administrative data with land cover information. http://reports.eea.eu.int/topic_report_2001_06/en/Topic_6_2001.pdf
• European Environment Agency. Are we moving in the right direction? Indicators on transport and environmental integration in the EU: TERM 2000. http://reports.eea.eu.int/ENVISSUENo12/en/term2000.pdf
• European Environment Agency. TERM2001 – Indicators tracking transport and environment integration in the European Union. http://reports.eea.eu.int/term2001/en/term2001.pdf
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Appendix 2
Appendix 2: Acronyms BMWP’ BAC CEPA CH4 CO CO2 NMVOC’s EMAS EUSTAT EVE GHG’s BI IPI ISO 14001 N2O NH3 NO2 NOX TMR O3 OECD WHO NGO’s OSPAR Pb GDP PM10 UNEP PO4-P TOP TSP SO2 HRH HRT EU GAV mp
Biological Monitoring Working Party
dB(A) kg ktep µg/Nm3 µg/m3 µm m3
Decibels A
Basque Country Single European Classification of Environmental Protection Activities Methane Carbon monoxide Carbon dioxide Non Methanic Volatile Organic Compounds European Environmental Management and Audit System Basque Office of Statistics Ente Vasco de la Energía (body in charge of energy) Greenhouse gases Biotic Index Industrial Production Index International Standards Organisation environmental management system Nitrous oxide Ammonia Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen oxides Total Material Requirement Ozone Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development World Health Organisation Non Government Organisations
Convention: Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-east Atlantic Lead Gross Domestic Product Suspended particles less than 10 µm in diameter United Nations Environment Programme Orthophosphate - phosphorous Tropospheric Ozone Precursors Total Suspended Particles Sulphur dioxide Hazardous Road Haulage Hazardous Rail Transport European Union Gross Added Value at market prices
kilogram Kilotonnes of petroleum equivalent Microgrammes per cubic metre under normal conditions of pressure and temperature Microgrammes per cubic metre Micron (10-6 metres) Cubic metre
APPENDICES
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THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Appendix 3: Glossary Accessibility
A qualitative variable which indicates the ease with which a place can be reached by the members of a community.
Acidification
Effect of introducing acidifying substances into the environment through atmospheric deposition. The main atmospheric pollutants which contribute to acidification are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3).
Agenda 21
A programme of action for sustainable development adopted at the Rio de Janeiro Conference of 1992. Local Agenda 21 schemes are programmes or strategic plans for sustainability adopted by local authorities.
Anthropogenic
Generated as a result of human activity.
Biodiversity (= biological diversity)
The range of living organisms of all types in land, marine and other aquatic ecosystems, including the complex ecological systems of which each forms part. Biodiversity may be measured within a species, between species and in ecosystems.
Biological connectivity
A measure of the possibilities of movement of organisms between habitat patches in the landscape. It depends on the make-up of the landscape, its configuration (layout of landscape elements) and on how well organisms adapt their behaviour to those variables.
Carbon sink
Any process, activity or mechanism which absorbs greenhouse gas, aerosol gas or a greenhouse gas precursor from the atmosphere.
Climate
A statistical description of the weather in terms of averages and variability in quantities of interest over periods of several decades. The quantities measured are almost always surface variables such as temperature, rainfall and wind.
Climate change
Change in climate directly or indirectly attributed to human activity which alters the composition of the world’s atmosphere and adds to the natural variability of climate observed over equivalent periods.
Contaminated soil
Soil whose chemical characteristics have been changed in a manner which renders it incompatible with its intended function on the grounds that unacceptable risks are entailed for public health or for the environment, and which has been declared to hold contaminated soil status by the environmental authorities of the BAC.
Defoliation
Untimely dropping of leaves from trees and plants due to disease or atmospheric factors.
De-linking
Breaking the link between economic growth and the increases in pressure on the environment associated with it. "Relative de-linking" takes place when the pressure increases, but at a lower rate than the increase of economic activity. "Absolute de-linking" is when pressure on the environment decreases or remains constant when there is economic growth.
Direct emissions
Emissions from a process which occur on the site where that process takes place.
Domestic biomass extraction
The quantity (in tonnes) of material of animal and plant origin extracted by the primary sector, including organic materials from agriculture, timber and other forestry products (mainly the reaping & grazing of natural meadowland, grazing land, etc.), sea and freshwater fishing, hunting and agriculture. Livestock farming is not included, but the material grazed by cattle is.
Drainage basin
An area of land all of the surface runoff from which flows through streams, rivers or lakes and then into the sea via a single river mouth, estuary or delta.
Dump site
A disposal facility where waste is deposited on or below the ground.
Ecological corridors
Connecting corridors along which the main components of natural systems can move.
Ecological footprint
The surface area needed to produce the resources consumed by a given population, and the area needed to absorb the waste they generate, regardless of the locations of such areas.
Ecological status (of water)
An indication of the quality of the structure and operation of aquatic ecosystems associated with surface water, graded in accordance with the indicators in Appendix V to Directive 2000/60.
EMAS
The Community environmental management and audit system, which organisations may join on a voluntary basis, to assess and improve their environmental performance and the way in which they distribute the relevant information to the public and other interested parties.
Energy efficiency (opposite of "Energy Intensity")
Rational use of energy, incorporating the concepts of energy saving, energy innovation (in processes, systems and consumer equipment) and other areas concerned with the better or fuller use of energy, such as co-generation.
Eficiencia energética (Inverso de Intensidad energética)
Utilización racional de energía, que incorpora los conceptos de ahorro energético; innovación energética (de procesos, sistemas y equipos consumidores), así como otros relacionados con el mejor o más integral aprovechamiento de la energía, como es la cogeneración.
Energy intensity (opposite of Energy Efficiency)
The ratio of energy consumption to GDP in a country or region. The term may also refer to specific sectors or sub-sectors of activity. It measures the rational use of energy in production activities.
Energy Mix
Proportion of final energy consumption accounted for by each energy source.
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ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2002
Appendix 3
Environmental certification
A voluntary system by which an independent body provides a written assurance that a product, process or service meets certain pre-set environmental requirements.
Environmental flow
The minimum flow rate of a river if it is to sustain life and thus conserve the diversity and dynamics of the biological communities in each stretch.
Erosion
A natural geological phenomenon caused by the dislodging of particles of soil and their subsequent shifting and depositing elsewhere through the action of water and wind. This process can be accelerated by human activities which expose soil stripped of its plant cover to wind or water impact, or which increase the amount and flow rate of runoff.
Eutrophication
An increase of nutrients in water, especially of nitrogen and/or phosphorous compounds, resulting in rapid growth of algae and higher plant species and unwanted upsets in the balance of organisms present in the water and therefore in the quality of the water in question.
Final energy
Energy supplied to consumers and converted into useful energy.
Final energy consumption
The energy made available to end consumers after its transformation, transmission and distribution by the power industry.
Fragmentation
A dynamic process of reduction of surface area of a habitat and its break-up into fragments.
Greenhouse effect
Increase in surface temperature on a world due to the atmosphere’s acting like the roof of a greenhouse. On earth solar radiation penetrates the atmosphere, but infra-red rays are retained on the surface and in the lower levels of the atmosphere. This occurs spontaneously in nature, resulting in an average temperature on the earth’s surface of 15 ºC. Life as we currently know it on earth would not exist without the natural greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gases (GHG)
Gases which absorb radiation on the infra-red wavelengths of the spectrum of radiation emitted by the earth’s surface and by clouds, and themselves emit infra-red radiation at a level at which the temperature is lower than on the surface. The net effect is that part of the energy absorbed is trapped locally and the surface tends to warm up. The chief greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere are water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3).
Gross added value to the cost of factors
A macro-measurement obtained by deducting taxes on activity and adding subsidies for operation to gross added value ex works. It represents the contribution of capital and labour to the production process.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The value of all the goods and services produced (or consumed) within the frontiers of a country or region.
Habitat of a species
The medium, defined by specific abiotic and biotic factors, in which a species lives during a given phase of its biological cycle.
Habitat Patch
A landscape element defined on the basis of size, shape and type.
Hazardous substance
A substance or group of substances which is toxic, persistent and could cause bio-accumulation. Also used to refer to other substances which entail similar risks.
Hazardous waste
Waste classed as hazardous by the EWC (European Waste Catalogue).
Indirect emissions
Emissions which occur at processing sites due to the demand of the end consumers, distributed according to the final electricity consumption in each sector.
Industrial Production Index (IPI)
A circumstantial indicator that seeks to measure the movements in Gross Added Value to the cost of factors in industry.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The body responsible for making decisions on climate change, its consequences, the viability of adaptation and mitigation measures. It was set up jointly by the UN Environment Programme and the Meteorology Organisation in 1998, and can call on the co-operation of hundreds of expert scientists from all over the world who are researching, reporting on and supervising this problem.
Landscape Unit
A division of the land established on the basis of visual or general characteristics of those factors considered as defining the landscape.
Limit Value
The maximum tolerable amount of each pollutant in the atmosphere, set on the basis of scientific knowledge to prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole, which must be complied with within a set time and thenceforth not exceeded.
Load capacity
The maximum level of use which can be made of a system without significantly altering its functioning.
Market price gross added value (GAV mp)
This is the new value created in a production process over a given period. It works out as the difference between output at ex works prices and intermediate inputs, and is thus equivalent to the sum of the gross operational surplus and taxation on production minus subsidies on operation.
Material efficiency (=Material Productivity)
An indicator of output per unit of material.
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Material Productivity (=Material Efficiency)
An indicator of output per unit of material.
Mobility
A quantitative variable which measures the number of journeys.
Municipal waste
Waste produced at private residences, shops, offices and services, and all other waste not classified as hazardous which by nature or composition may be dealt with together with waste from the aforesaid places or activities.
Pollution
Direct or indirect emission through human intervention of substances, vibrations, odours or noise into the atmosphere, water or soil with potentially harmful effects on human health or the quality of the environment, or with the potential to damage material objects or curtail enjoyment or other legitimate uses of the environment.
Prevention (in waste production)
The set of measures taken to prevent or reduce the production of waste or of the amount of hazardous or pollutant substances in waste.
Protected natural area
An area marked by the public authorities as devoted to the conservation of nature: this may involve preserving a unique area, a privileged section of nature or certain ecological processes.
Recycling
The processing of waste within a production process for re-use for its initial purpose or for others, including composting and bio-methane production, but not including incineration with energy recovery.
Renewable energy sources
Energy sources found in nature which are continuously renewing themselves, and are therefore inexhaustible. Chief among them are biomass, geothermal, hydraulic, solar, wind and sea power (both tidal and wave power), landfill gas, bio-gas and gas from waste water treatment plants.
Re-use
The use of a product which has already been used, for the purpose for which it was originally used.
Salinisation
The build-up of soluble sodium, magnesium and calcium salts in the soil, leading to major decreases in fertility.
Selective collection
A system of separate collection of fermentable organic materials and recyclable materials, and any other system of separate collection which enables valorisable materials contained in waste to be separated out.
Smog
Atmospheric pollution characterised by the formation of mists of substances harmful to health and the environment. The word was coined as a blend of "smoke" and "fog".
Soil
The solid part of the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crust from the bedrock to the surface, including both liquid and gaseous phases and all organisms inhabiting the said part, which has natural functions and can be used for other purposes.
Soil compaction
A decrease in porosity between the particles of the soil caused by mechanical pressure from heavy machinery and overgrazing, especially when the soil is moist.
Soil sealing
The sealing off of the soil by the construction of houses, roads, etc.
Structural connectivity
A measure of the layout of landscape elements which takes into account the adjacency of elements of the same type. A cartographic measurement.
Surface water
All inland water other than ground water, transitional waters and coastal waters.
Surface water mass
A distinct, significant area of surface water such as a lake, a reservoir, a stream, rover or canal, transitional waters or a stretch of coastal waters.
Total Material Requirement (TMR)
An indicator of the total accumulated volume (in tonnes per capita per annum) of raw materials extracted from nature via economic activities.
Troposphere
The level of the atmosphere extending from the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface to an altitude of 10 km at medium latitudes, in which clouds and weather systems are formed.
Valorisation
Any procedure which enables resources contained in waste to be used without endangering human health and without using methods which could harm the environment.
Volatile Organic Compounds
All the organic compounds originating from anthropogenic and biogenic sources other than methane which can produce photo-chemical oxidants by reaction with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight.
Waste
All substances and objects which are or must be disposed of. May also refer to any substance included on the EWC (European Waste Catalogue).
Waste collection
Any operation consisting of the collection, sorting, grouping or preparation of waste for transportation.
Waste disposal
Any procedure intended to store or hold waste in controlled dumps or destroy it wholly or in part which is carried out without endangering human health and without using methods which could harm the environment.
Waste management
The collection, storage, transportation and elimination of waste, the monitoring of same and the monitoring of dump sites or landfills after their closure.
Water stress
This occurs when the demand for water exceeds availability over a short period, or when poor quality restricts water use.
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Appendix 4
Appendix 4: Description & Method of Calculation of Indicators Indicator 1. WATER QUALITY INDEX Description: 1. Trends in the biotic index of the BMWPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Biological Monitoring Working Party modified for the Iberian Peninsula) for inland waters. This index represents the environmental stress borne by water organisms, and to a certain extent reflects aspects of physical, chemical, biological indicators and some hydro-morphological factors, covering both one-off and continuous impacts. The BMWP concentrates on invertebrates, due to the variety and abundance of the communities they form, the ease with which samples can be collected and the different levels of tolerance they display to variations in water conditions. 2. Trends in the biological quality of the inshore waters of the BAC, established on the basis of the biotic coefficient (BC) based on soft substrate benthic communities.
Unit of measurement: None. Method of calculation: The main methods used to determine water quality are biological indicators, as they contain more historical data than physical and chemical indicators. This is because sporadic discharges result in changes in quality and reductions in the number of species, and the aquatic environment needs time for those species to re-colonise. These indicators are based on knowledge of how biological communities respond to the different disturbances introduced into the aquatic environment by human activities. Several types of fresh-water organism have been used (macrophytes, fish, micro-organisms), but this indicator centres mainly on communities of macro-invertebrates, since a wide variety of abundant communities of this type exists, they can be sampled easily and they exhibit different tolerance levels to variations in water conditions. In the BAC, inland and marine water quality is monitored by the Monitoring Network for Water Quality and the Environmental Condition of Rivers and the Surveillance and Monitoring Network for the Quality of Coastal Waters. Although the design of the Monitoring Network for Water Quality and the Environmental Condition of Rivers in the Basque Country does not proportionally represent the 3 territories under study, the relationships of main streams to tributaries and clean stretches to polluted stretches does give a true overall picture of the actual situation. Moreover, the number of rivers under study and the number of sampling stations has gradually been increased from 64 stations on 33 rivers in 1997 to 92 stations on 55 rivers in 2001. The BMWP´ (modified Biological Monitoring Working Party) provides an index calculated by adding up the scores awarded to the various taxa found in samples of macro-invertebrates detailed in a specific list. Higher (lower) scores are awarded on the basis of greater (lesser) sensitivity to organic pollution and the oxygen shortages which pollution of this type tends to cause in most rivers. Biotic indices are reliable for prediction purposes only in extreme situations of pollution: in intermediate quality levels and at the highest levels of the index, predictions are less reliable.
Under this index, waters are classed from 0 to an undetermined maximum (though in practice it is usually no more than 200). Six water quality classes are established, the top two of which represent non polluted waters.
Class
Level
Meaning
Ia
>120
Ib
101-120
Water not polluted or contaminated to any appreciable extent
Very clean
II
61-100
Critical: some evident signs of pollution
III
6-60
Contaminated: poor quality
IV
16-35
Highly polluted
V
<15
Extremely polluted
What the BMWP´ actually measures is an ecological characteristic of the river system which is more significant than the cleanness of the water: the presence of a certain group of taxa in the structure of the community. If two readings are available from samplings in the same year, the worse of the two is taken. If no samples are taken, readings are estimated on the basis of previous results. The Surveillance and Monitoring Network for the Quality of Coastal Waters in the BAC comprises 17 estuary stations and 15 shoreline stations distributed over the 12 river basins of the Atlantic watershed. Like the river network, the Coastal Waters network incorporates biological water pollution indicators. Since 1999 a biotic coefficient (BC) and a biotic index (BI) have been drawn up based on soft substrate benthic communities which enables trends in the biological quality of the Basque coastline to be determined. The levels considered range from "not polluted" to "extremely polluted". The biotic index drawn up from soft substrate benthos data provided by the Surveillance and Monitoring network for the Quality of Coastal Waters takes into account the composition of the fauna, allocating each species to an ecological group in accordance with its sensitivity to an increasing stress gradient. The abundance of each ecological group in the samples taken provides a biotic coefficient (in a continuous range from 0 to 6) which can be cross referenced with a biotic index representing the quality of the biota, with a discrete range from 0 (not polluted) to 7 (extremely polluted). This composition is governed by physical and chemical factors in the sediment and the supernatant water, measured in terms of organic matter content, percentage of sludge, dissolved oxygen and concentration of pollutants.
Time frame: 1998-2001. Although the water quality monitoring networks provide data on earlier years (1993 for rivers and 1994 for the coast), the period considered is 1998-2001, when the same stations were operating and results can therefore be compared.
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Indicator 2. POLLUTANT LOADS IN INLAND AND COASTAL WATERS
Index
Air Quality
Criterion (µg/m3)
1
Very Good
SO2<100 PST<100 NO2<50
2
Good
SO2: 100-150 PST: 100-150 NO2:50-150
3
Moderate
SO2:150-250 PST: 150-250 NO2:150-200
4
Poor
SO2:250-350 PST: 250-350 NO2: 200-565
5
Very poor
SO2>350 PST>350 NO2>565
Descripción: Shifts in the contaminant load of nutrients (nitrates & phosphates), metals (cadmium, copper, lead & zinc) and organo-chlorate compounds circulating at the downstream end of each river basin.
Unit of measurement: Variation from a base year figure (1998 = 100).
Method of calculation: The approach adopted is similar to that used in the reports issued by the Basque Government for the OSPAR convention on the protection of the marine environment of the north east Atlantic. Although it has its limitations, the analysis considered in this indicator seeks to integrate all the discharges into a basin and all the self-cleaning and pollutant capturing processes. It therefore considers analytical results obtained at sampling points on rivers at the downstream end of each basin and applies the sum total to the watershed as a whole, thus combining the data available on carrying capacity and concentrations in circulation to give an integrated view of all the river basins as a whole.
The BAC is divided into 7 zones: Bajo Nervión, Deba, Alto Nervión, Donostialdea, Llanada Alavesa, Ibaizabal and Oria.
Criteria for calculation: 1. Loads refer to the total area of each hydrological unit defined in the BAC with a direct outlet to the sea. For the moment complete series of data are not available for basins on the Mediterranean watershed. 2. The concentration levels considered are the mean concentrations for each analysis based on the different samplings taken by the Monitoring Network for Water Quality and the Environmental Condition of Rivers in the BAC at the lowest point of each basin. In those cases where readings were below the lower limit of detection for the technique used the figure considered is the lower limit in question. 3. The flow rate used is calculated by extrapolation of the annual daily average (calendar years) at the station with the lowest carrying capacity of the main river (or the most suitable if there is no station on the river itself). 4. Percentage figures are corrected for the flow rate encountered.
Time frame: 1998-2001.
Indicator 3. AIR QUALITY INDEX
Air quality in each zone is determined by the worst figure in the overall index of its stations, except in Bajo Nervión, where the index is based on the three stations with the worst individual indices. Since no time series are available for analysing trends in this indicator, the trends in immission data for SO2, NO2 and TSP are incorporated: - Number of days with an average daily level above the upper threshold for assessment (75 µg/Nm3) set in European Directive 1999/30 (not yet transposed into Spanish law). - Number of stations in the air quality monitoring network of the BAC with an annual average level over the annual limit level for the protection of human health (40 µg/Nm3) set in European Directive 1999/30, which must be met by January 1st, 2010. - Number of days on which the guideline level of 40 µg/Nm3 set in Royal Decree 1613/85 for total suspended particles is exceeded.
Description: The air quality index is an adimensional index which is calculated according to the levels of the following pollutants: sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and total suspended particles (TSP). A partial index for each pollutant is calculated, and these partial indices are used to obtain an overall index of air quality at each station.
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Air quality index: Number of days on which the threshold or guideline level is exceeded. Number of stations in the monitoring network for air quality in the BAC at which the annual limit level is exceeded.
Unit of measurement: None.
Appendix 4
Method of calculation: As of the end of 2000 the Air Quality Surveillance and Monitoring Network in the BAC comprises 52 remote stations distributed in various sub-networks. Each sub-network covers one or more zones, in each of which there are remote stations which measure the actual situation of the air (immission) as regards sulphur dioxide (SO2), total suspended particles (TSP) and PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx, NO, NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methanic and non methanic hydrocarbons (HC), along with some meteorological variables such as temperature (T), wind speed (W) and direction (DV), relative humidity (H), relative pressure (Pre), rainfall (LL), total solar radiation (RD) and ultraviolet radiation. SO2 is measured by the continuous ultraviolet fluorescence method, TSP levels are determined continuously using the β radiation absorption method and nitrogen oxides by chemical luminescence.
Time frame: 1996-2000.
Indicator 5. CONTAMINATED SOIL AREAS INVESTIGATED AND REMEDIATED Description: Changes in areas declared to be potentially contaminated and investigated, and actually contaminated areas remediated.
Unit of measurement: Number of sites. Hectares. Metodología de cálculo: Based on the Soil Quality Information System of the Basque Country. GEOIKER is an IT tool based on a GIS capable of storing, ordering and representing a huge amount of alphanumerical, cartographic and photographic data on soil quality in the Basque Country. The system includes information not only on those sites which have housed potentially polluting activities in the past but also full data on investigations into suspected soil quality problems and remediation processes on sites found to be contaminated.
Time frame: 1990-2001.
Indicator 4. EMISSIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS Description:
Indicator 6. WATER CONSUMPTION
1. Emissions of atmospheric acidifying substances: sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3).
Description:
2. Emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors: nitrogen oxides (NOx), non methanic volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4).
Total annual water consumption by sectors: industry & services, home, agriculture & municipal consumption levels. Water consumption per capita.
Unit of measurement:
Unit of measurement:
- Tonnes of acidification equivalent: this combines the acidifying effects of the three gases considered, using a weighting process. The acidification equivalents per kg. used in weighting are 2/64 for SO2, 1/46 for NOx and 1/17 NH3.
Cubic metres (m3), cubic metres per capita.
- Tonnes of TOP reduction equivalent for all four precursors, using the following weighting factors: 1.22 for NOx, 1.00 for NMVOC’s, 0.11 for CO and 0.014 for CH4.
From surveys by the National Statistical Office: - Survey on the supply and treatment of water, for home, municipal, industrial and service consumption data. - Survey on water use in agriculture. - Survey of water use in industry.
- Variation in total emissions of each pollutant in regard to a base year level (1990=100).
Method of calculation:
Time frame: 1996-1999. Method of calculation: The quantities emitted are calculated on the basis of emission factors, which relate the quantity emitted of each pollutant with data on activity levels, calculated on the basis of combustion processes. Emissions are estimated by multiplying a given emission factor by an activity datum. Emission factors are based on on-thespot measurements and depend on the type of process, facility, site and other variables which may effect emission levels. When not enough data are available on the processes whose emissions are to be estimated, a default factor is used. This is a factor established on the basis of the most common or widespread factors of the variables affecting emissions (uncontrolled systems or particular manufacturing processes, etc.).
Time frame: 1990-2000.
The survey on the supply and treatment of water covers 19961999. The surveys on water use in agriculture and industry are for 1999. The data used for the full time series for these two sectors are estimated on the basis of 1999 data.
Indicator 7. ENERGY CONSUMPTION Description: 1. Trends in overall consumption and the proportions of total final energy consumption accounted for by the main energy sources. 2. Link between energy intensity, energy consumption and GDP.
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Unit of measurement:
Unit of measurement: Hectares.
Tonnes of petroleum equivalent (tep). A unit of energy which has the same value as the energy in one tonne of crude oil (approx. 41.868 gigajoules).
Method of calculation:
Variation in energy intensity, energy consumption and GDP in regard to a base year level (1990=100).
Method of calculation:
On the basis of partial data available on zoning and classification in town planning records for land given over to residential use and economic activities.
Time frame: 1996-1999.
From the energy balance sheets published annually by Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE).
Time frame: 1990-2000.
Indicator 10. WASTE PRODUCTION Description:
Indicator 8. CONSUMPTION OF MATERIALS Description: 1. Total Material Requirement (TMR). A macro-indicator developed by the Wuppertal Institute to give a description in terms of total mass not just of the total amount of resources entering the production processes of an economy directly (direct material input), but also the indirect flows (hidden flows – material moved but not included) associated with that production.
The total amount of municipal waste collected by local bodies and the total amount of hazardous industrial waste produced. Most municipal waste comes from the domestic sector, but there is also waste from the service sector, office buildings, institutions and small businesses which is handled as municipal waste. Only those wastes listed as hazardous wastes on the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) are considered as such.
Unit of measurement: Kg. per capita for municipal waste. Tonnes for hazardous waste.
2. Link between material efficiency, TMR and GDP.
Method of calculation: Unit of measurement: Tonnes per capita. Variation in material efficiency, TMR and GDP in regard to a base year level (1990=100).
Method of Calculation: The TMR for the Basque Country was calculated using the method established by the European Environment Agency in its technical reports nº 55 "Total Material Requirement of the European Union" and nº 56: "Total Material Requirement of the European Union: Technical Part", adapted to the particular conditions prevailing in the BAC. The main modifications made were the following: - use of specific coefficients in the calculation of erosion due to agriculture; - introduction of a new method for calculating excavation due to the construction of infrastructures and buildings; - estimate of imports from the rest of Spain.
Time frame: 1990-1998. Preliminary data on 1999 and 2000 are also given.
Indicator 9. INTENSITY OF ARTIFICIALISATION OF LAND Description: Surface area given over to residential use and economic activities.
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Data on municipal waste are obtained from waste production studies drawn up by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment, by sectoral associations, by the Basque Government Department of the Environment and by local authorities in the BAC. When the data given are for Spain as a whole or for entire sectors, the BAC data are estimated on the basis of GDP and/ or industrial activities. Data on hazardous waste are obtained from inventories of hazardous waste drawn up on the basis of the information contained in: - the control and monitoring documents draw up by producers and waste managers every time hazardous waste is moved, as required by Royal Decree 833/88; - Document B forms completed when an authorised collector of spent oil makes a delivery to a final waste manager, as regulated by Decree 259/98 of the Basque Country; - annual reports of waste management companies, especially those classed as in-house managers, i.e. companies authorised to manage some of the waste they themselves produce; - information on imports and exports of hazardous waste obtained from the centralised records held at the offices of the Basque Government Department of the Environment in Bilbao in accordance with Regulation 259/93 on the monitoring and control of waste movements within, into and out of the EU and subsequent modifications of that regulation. Once all these data are computerised, EWC codes are allocated to each waste stream, using common, homogenous criteria, to ensure that the information to be analysed is reliable.
Time frame: 1990-2001 for municipal waste. Inventories of hazardous wastes for 1994, 1998 and 1999. Preliminary data on 2000 are given.
Appendix 4
Indicator 11. WASTE MANAGEMENT
Indicator 13. BIODIVERSITY INDEX
Description:
Description:
Selective kerbside collection of different fractions of municipal waste (glass, paper and card, packaging, batteries, domestic appliances). Quantity of municipal waste dumped as compared to the quantity valorised (incineration & recycling). Percentage of hazardous industrial waste valorised as compared to the percentage disposed of or not managed.
The biodiversity and landscape index is an aggregate of four subindicators. The first two are based on indirect sources of information on biodiversity and landscape quality, and the others on direct observation:
Unit of measurement: Tonnes. Percentages. Method of Calculation: Data on selective collection and treatment of municipal waste are taken from information provided by local authorities, collectors, recyclers and valorisers.
1. Changes in the fragmentation of landscape units, ecosystems and habitats. 2. Changes in connectivity between landscape units, ecosystems and habitats. 3. Changes in the population of indicator species. 4. Changes in the degree of landscape alteration of indicator landscapes.
Unit of measurement: None. Hazardous waste management is divided into two main categories: - disposal, covering physical/chemical treatment, inertising, dumping and any combination of the foregoing, plus incineration with no harnessing of energy. - energy valorisation and recycling or valorisation of materials.
Time frame: 1996-2001 for municipal waste. Data from hazardous waste inventories for 1994, 1998 and 1999.
Method of calculation: Changes in the fragmentation of landscape units, ecosystems and habitats A series of landscape units or types will be selected in accordance with the indicator landscapes in the fourth sub-indicator and with the indicator species selected for monitoring in the third subindicator. Once the types of landscape unit or "habitat patch" to be analysed are selected, the cartographic basis on which the indicator will be expressed will be decided. It is calculated that samples should be taken every 5-10 years.
Indicator 12. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Changes in connectivity between landscape units, ecosystems and habitats
Description:
As above, a series of ecosystems and habitats must be selected for monitoring which are in accordance with the indicator species and indicator landscapes selected, so that changes in the connectivity between habitat patches can then be assessed. Again, it is calculated that sampling for this indicator should take place at 510 year intervals.
Emissions of the three main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), including direct emissions and those associated with energy imports, by sectors (energy, services, transport, residential, industry, agriculture) and those associated with waste elimination.
Unit of measurement: Millions of tonnes of CO2 equivalent: this combines the potential for global warming of all three gases, using weighting factors related to the potential of CO2: CO2=1; CH4=21 & N2O=310. Variations in total emissions in regard to a base year level (1990=100).
Method of calculation: The method used is that recommended in the revised directives of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) dated 1996. The IPCC default emission factors are multiplied by the required activity data to obtain an approximation of the contribution of each sector to total emissions. The four main groups contributing to these gases are considered: Group 1 - Combustion Processes; Group 2 - Industrial Processes; Group 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Agriculture; and Group 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Waste.
Time frame: 1990-2000.
Changes in the population of indicator species These species will be selected on the basis of: - the Catalogue of Endangered and Threatened Species of the Basque Country; - species belonging to the main mature ecosystems and those related to traditional agriculture and livestock farming in the BAC which are most sensitive to changes in their habitats; and - the main allochthonous or invading species in the BAC. Monitoring the population distribution of these species is considered to provide data which is much more accurate and better suited to the purposes of measuring biodiversity and landscape quality than merely counting the number of specimens of each species. The best sampling frequency for this indicator is estimated at 3-5 years.
Changes in the degree of landscape alteration in indicator landscapes Along with an assessment of the changes in the fragmentation of landscape units, an assessment must be obtained of the restora-
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tion work required, and of the impact and cumulative effects of small, individual actions on landscape areas. To that end, a series of units or types of landscape will be selected which can be monitored in detail.
Indicator 15. POPULATION EXPOSED TO NOISE ABOVE WHO RECOMMENDED LEVELS
Landscape types will be selected on the basis of:
No indicator for the population exposed is available, so the data analysed are those of the noise map for the BAC, which identifies the areas impacted by noise from transport networks and industrial facilities.
- the main landscape units characteristic of the BAC; - the types of landscape considered most emblematic of the BAC; - the types of landscape in the priority action areas of the BAC. The current short-list of landscape types follows: -
coastal landscape; Atlantic countryside; Mediterranean countryside; mountain pastures linked with traditional local movements of livestock; urban landscape; industrial landscape; periurban landscape; mountain landscape.
An enclave of each landscape type selected will be chosen at random for monitoring, and changes and alterations in its associated visual area will be recorded. It is estimated that data should be taken annually in all four seasons.
Time frame: No data are yet available for this indicator.
Description:
Unit of measurement: None. Method of calculation: Noise limits for environmental focal points (transport networks, industrial facilities, etc.) are usually established by measuring noise levels at the outside walls of residential buildings or buildings with noise-sensitive uses (schools, hospitals, etc.). Non built-up areas are sometimes also considered if they are sensitive to noise (parks, promenades and developable areas). Three grades of sensitivity are established, with different figures for daytime and night-time at each grade: - Grade 1. Residential areas, schools and recreational areas. - Grade 2. Population centres and mixed areas. - Grade 3. Industrial areas. In the absence of specific applicable legislation, limit levels based on international experience have been established as references for assessing noise impact. The criteria used should be adapted in the future to developments in regulations and environmental quality standards.
Indicator 14. LOCAL MOBILITY Description: 1. Changes in the number of private cars per 1000 inhabitants and nº of kilometres of motorway and dual-carriageway.
In the absence of specific noise legislation in the Basque Country, the reference levels used to assess noise impact are those recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), which are widely accepted internationally.
2. Changes in the percentage of journeys to and from the place of work and study by modes of transport.
Unit of measurement: Variation in the nº of private cars per 1000 inhabitants and in the number of kilometres of motorway and dual-carriageway in regard to a base year (1990=100). Percentage of journeys.
Method of calculation:
Indicator 16. URBAN AIR QUALITY Description: Average annual levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and total suspended particles (TSP) detected at the urban stations of the BAC’s air quality monitoring network.
On the basis of data from the following sources: - annual statistics published by the Ministry of Infrastructure; - annual statistics published by the Directorate general for Traffic; - living conditions survey published by EUSTAT.
Time frame: 1990-2000 for nº of cars per 1000 inhabitants and nº of km of motorway and dual-carriageway. 1989, 1994 and 1999 for percentage of journeys to and from work and place of study.
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Unit of measurement: Microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m3). Volume normalised at 293º K and a pressure of 101.3 Kpa.
Method of calculation: As of the end of 2000 the Air Quality Surveillance and Monitoring Network in the BAC comprises 52 remote stations distributed in various sub-networks. Each sub-network covers one or more zones, in each of which there are remote stations which measure the actual situation of the air (immission) as regards sulphur dioxide (SO2), total suspended particles (TSP) and PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx, NO, NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methanic and non methanic hydrocarbons (HC), along with some meteo-
Appendix 4
rological variables such as temperature (T), wind speed (W) and direction (DV), relative humidity (H), relative pressure (Pre), rainfall (LL), total solar radiation (RD) and ultraviolet radiation. For this indicator the data from the following stations, considered as urban, are taken: Abanto, Donostia-San Sebastian, Beasain, Llodio, Rentería, Arrasate, Basauri, Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz. SO2 is measured by the continuous ultraviolet fluorescence method, TSP levels are determined continuously using the β radiation absorption method and nitrogen oxides by chemical luminescence.
Time frame: 1997-2000.
classed by importance as "not immediate", "slight", "moderate" or "serious" on the basis of their origin, causes and effects on the environment, and are recorded on a computer system so that a count can be kept.
Time frame: 1995-2001.
Indicator 19. EFFECTS ON HEALTH RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Description:
Indicator 17. LOCAL AGENDA 21 SCHEMES IN BASQUE MUNICIPALITIES Description: Number of Basque municipalities involved in Local Agenda 21 processes.
1. Intake of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) through diet, calculated for the average consumer in the BAC on the basis of the Total Dietary Study and comparison with reference levels. 2. Number of declared outbreaks per year in the BAC of infections originating from food and water, and number of persons affected by same in the BAC.
Unit of measurement: Unit of measurement: Number of municipalities which have signed up to the Aalborg Charter & number of municipalities with Local Agenda 21 processes.
Method of calculation: Local Agenda 21 processes usually begin with plenary municipal council sessions approving the signing of the Aalborg Charter as an expression of their desire to foster sustainability at local level. Subsequently, a Local Agenda 21 scheme is designed which comprises a diagnosis and a strategic plan of action covering four years. Once the Local Agenda 21 scheme is designed (which usually takes around 2 years) the plan of action is implemented as a continuous environmental improvement process at municipal level.
Time frame: 1998-2001.
Indicator 18. INCIDENTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REPERCUSSIONS
Microgrammes/day (µg/day) for heavy metal intake. Number of persons affected & number of outbreaks for infections.
Method of calculation: In 1990 the Basque Government Health Department set up a monitoring system which uses a total dietary study to estimate the intake of the principal contaminants in foodstuffs. This comprises basically the following: data on food consumption are used to establish the average diet of the population, and a list of the foodstuffs in that diet is drawn up. Foodstuffs from the list are purchased in different locations each month and prepared for consumption in groups with similar compositions. Each of them is then checked for the relevant contaminants. With these data and data on food consumption, the daily intake of each contaminant can be estimated and the results can be compared with reference levels. To control and prevent outbreaks of food poisoning in public places, a Programme of Higher Food Risk Establishments is being drawn up to adjust health and safety requirements to actual risk levels. Official food control programmes seek to influence those points where problems are detected in order to avoid risks for the public.
Description: Total number of incidents per year with environmental repercussions. Incidents are classed in three major groups: industrial accidents, transport accidents and destructive natural disasters.
Indicator 20. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AT COMPANIES Description:
Unit of measurement: Number of incidents. Method of calculation: The Basque Govt. Department of the Environment is alerted by the BAC’s emergency services (SOS Deiak, Emergency Help-line, Basque police) and by pubic service organisations (Línea Verde ["Green Line"], town halls, local government offices). Alerts are
1. Number of environmental management certificates (ISO 14001 & EMAS). 2. Number of companies which have performed an Ekoscan. Ekoscan is a tool designed mainly for SME’s which are planning to start gradually implementing environmental management programmes in the medium term.
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THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Unit of measurement: Number of companies.
Unit of measurement:
Method of calculation:
Variation in regard to a base year level (1990=100) of the following variables:
On the basis of data from official certificates, and data from IHOBE for Ekoscan.
Time frame: 1998-2001.
Indicator 21. PUBLIC SECTOR SPENDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Description: Public spending on protecting the environment as a proportion of total public spending.
Unit of measurement: Millions of euros. Percentage of total public spending.
Method of calculation: Spending on environmental protection currently means current and capital expenditure on operations specifically aimed at protecting the environment and the exploitation of natural resources, i.e. operations to implement or fund activities on the CEPA (Classification of Environmental Protection Activities) single European statistical classification list. This means that spending on environmentally beneficial operations which is made mainly for technical or economic reasons, for hygiene or for safety is not counted.
Time frame: 1995-2001.
- Economy in general: Emissions of acidifying substances; final energy consumption; GDP at market prices & constant prices, based on 1990 figures; TMR; municipal waste production per capita; unemployment rate. - Transport sector: GHG emissions; emissions of acidifying substances; emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors; energy consumption; gross added value at market prices & constant prices, based on 1990 figures; km. of motorways & dual carriageways. - Industry: GHG emissions; emissions of acidifying substances; energy consumption; Industrial Production Index; hazardous waste production. - Primary sector: GHG emissions; energy consumption; domestic biomass extraction; gross added value at market prices & constant prices based on 1990 figures. - Residential sector: GHG emissions; energy consumption; private sector spending; nยบ of cars per 1000 inhabitants; MSW production per capita. - Energy processing sector: GHG emissions; emissions of acidifying substances; energy output; gross added value at market prices & constant prices based on 1990 figures.
Method of calculation: Compilation of several of the above indicators. Economic indicators (GDP, GAV & private sector spending) are taken from the economic accounts published annually by EUSTAT and the unemployment rate from the Population and Activity Survey drawn up each month by EUSTAT.
Time frame: 1990-2000.
Indicator 22. OVERALL & SECTORAL ECOEFFICIENCY Description: The link between growth in a sector (in terms of value and/ or output) and the main pressures it exerts on the environment.
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