DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR AIR POLLUTION

SHORT TERM

ENCOURAGING WALKING OR CYCLING FOR DAILY MOBILITY

Active mobility systems, that is, walking or cycling, must regain the importance they
once had in urban mobility, adapting to user and trip type. The AQAP, horizon 2020, seeks to
calm down traffic, create continuous infrastructures for safe daily mobility by walking or
cycling, and promote the use of bicycles by planning an urban cycling network connected to the
interurban network, secure bike parks, and generalizing use of the bicycle to commute to work as
a flexible salary item for all workers, as some companies are already doing, with cartype vehicles
for certain workers. The Ministry of Territory and Sustainability has implemented the Workbike,
“More bike, less pollution” project. It is a demonstration service which provides bicycles and
support to government employees to encourage use of the bicycle for daily mobility between
home and work. This project is also being implemented at the Ministries of Health and the
Interior, with synergistic connotations between safety, pollution and health that are also
integrated in the Catalan Government’s Interdepartmental Public Health Plan.

MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC VEHICLE FLEETS, APPLYING GREEN

PROCUREMENT CRITERIA

Renew public vehicle fleets applying the criteria contained in the Green procurement
guide for vehicles, which includes greening guidelines for vehicle contracting to be used by the
Catalan Government’s departments and public sector companies. This Guide requires companies
taking part in public procurement tenders to include in the tender the undertaking that 30% of the
vehicles will be driven by alternative po wer supplies and have low pollutant emissions, in
accordance with the AQAP, horizon 2020, criteria for eligibility for the Emblem of Guarantee of
Environmental Quality of vehicle fleets. These criteria are published in the Official Journal of
the Government of Catalonia.

MEDIUM TERM

PURCHASE OF LOW-EMISSION AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, SUPPORT FOR

ENERGY DIVERSIFICATION BY THE TAXI SERVICE AND INCREASED NUMBER
OF TAXI STANDS

The metropolitan taxi fleet currently has more than 11,000 vehicles. In this traditionally
diesel vehicle population, the use of hybrid vehicles is becoming more common, with a trend
towards diversification with natural gas and LPG. These are vehicles that clock up more than
50,000 km every year and, consequently, contribute significantly to pollutant emissions by road
traffic. The AQAP implements a series of subsidies and support lines for the sector that, to date,
have enabled 25 electric vehicles to be included in the fleet, many of them made at the Nissan
plant in Zona Franca. It is an example of how the challenge of reducing pollution can support
cleaner technologies and job creation in Catalonia. Light commercial vehicles used for urban
goods distribution is another area where a lot can be done. It is planned to provide similar
support for this sector too.

SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The electric vehicle plays an essential role in a chieving total eradication of local
pollutant emissions. Electricity generation by power plants is more efficient than the internal
combustion engine. In addition, pollutant emissions at particular points in the electricity
generation process must comply with very strict regulations that require use of pollution
reduction technologies whose cost is too high for these small mobile pollution producers
otherwise known as automobiles.

ALIGNMENT OF AUTHORIZATIONS TO THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL

REGULATIONS

Atmospheric Emissions Network of Catalonia (XEAC)

XEAC is the tool for analysis and control for monitoring continuously and in real time
the pollutants emitted by sources that have the greatest potential impact on the atmosphere such
as cement plant, glassmaking, petrochemical, incineration plant and other industries. All of them
need to monitor emissions continuously.
ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND CEMENT MANUFACTURE WITH AIR
QUALITY CRITERIA

Agreements have been signed with the electricity generation industry and the cement
manufacture industry to activate action protocols in the event of pollution episodes. Thus, 3
scenarios will be established, one providing advance warning of an environmental pollution
episode and the other two related directly to the detection of certain threshold values exceeded
for NO2 and the declaration of environmental episodes pollution. A similar process has been
begun with the steel industry.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SIMULATION MODELS FOR THE ATMOSPHERIC

DISPERSION OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTANTS

Within the framework of this action, the models will enable air quality levels to be
forecast, predicting possible environmental episodes of pollu tion by PM10 and NOx at least for
the special atmospheric environment protection area.

LONG TERM

SUPPORT FOR RAIL FREIGHT TRANSPORT

The goal pursued by this action is to increase the share of rail freight transport to absorb
part of the freight currently transported by road and avoid emissions by lorries, which travel an
average of 30 km within the special protection area; the forecast is to attain a 25% market share
for rail; investment in this area corresponds to the Spanish Central Administration. The share of
rail freight transport has grown from 2.6% of total traffic in 2007 to values above 10% in 2012.

PROMOTE THE USE OF LNG (LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS) AND OTHER

ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN VESSELS, LORRIES AND WORKING MACHINERY IN
THE PORT OF BARCELONA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is already a competitive alternative to the hydrocarbons used
until now for sea and road goods transport. Use of LNG reduces NOx emissions by 85% and
those of particulate matter and sulphur oxides (SOx) by almost 100%, and enables compliance
with international emission restriction standards. The European Union wishes all sea and river
ports in the main TransEuropean network in transport (TENT) to have LNG supply points
available before 2021.
RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS

Although it forms part of efficiency, rehabilitation and renovation of buildings deserves a

separate mention because it has not always been given the importance it is due. Actions such as
the plans for renovating buildings’ windows, openings and sun protection, or the more ambitious
Catalan building renovation strategy, will have a considerable effect in reducing emissions by the
domestic sector.