UN: Europe's air quality improves
Geneva (dpa) - Europe's air is getting cleaner but some individual countries are still short of their targets, according to a United Nations report published Friday.
Levels of sulphur dioxide, which contribute to acid rain, were down 65 per cent in 2004 compared with 1990, according to the report by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which oversees members' efforts to cut air pollution.
It meant the overall target for Europe for 2010 had already been reached, although half the countries still needed to reduce their individual emissions.
However emissions of nitrogen oxides produced by cars and industry, despite falling to less than 18 million tonnes by 2004 - down 30 per cent from 1990 levels - still needed to be cut by 15 per cent to reach the target set by the 1990 Gothenburg Protocol. // © 2006 DPA
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