Stephen Gibbons, Global Market Manager for Continuous Gas Analysers for ABB Measurement & Analytics, explains the developments in process gas analyser technology that are helping governments and companies worldwide to keep emissions to air under tight control.
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ne of the interesting aspects of the COVID19 pandemic has been its impact on industrial emissions. As lockdowns and other measures led to factories closing and transportation grinding to a halt, emissions levels worldwide fell significantly. While this reduction is likely to have only been temporary, it has led to a realisation of just how much impact emissions from activities such as industry and transport can have on air quality, and, more importantly, what should be done to rein them in. Even before the pandemic, legislation was already in motion to find ways to cut emissions. The Paris Agreement in 2015, for example, set a global target for countries to significantly reduce their industrial emissions to air to help limit global temperature increases to 1.5˚C. Many industrialised nations have already made significant progress in tackling their emissions, while developing nations are also increasingly demonstrating their ability to achieve growth while minimising their environmental impact. Globally, regulations are being tightened, requiring polluting facilities and plants to install Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) to ensure compliance. The European Union (EU), for example, has introduced its Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) to bridge the gap
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