As cities work to achieve their emissions reductions goals and implement changes for more sustainable transport systems, the focus has long been on reducing vehicles’ exhaust emissions. However, a less visible but increasingly significant source of pollution has persisted: non-exhaust emissions (NEE). Non-exhaust emissions are particles that get released into the air from parts of the vehicle outside of the engine, such as brake wear, tyre wear, road surface abrasion and the resuspension of road dust.
Unlike exhaust emissions, which have been tightly regulated for years, NEEs remain largely unregulated despite their growing contribution to particulate matter in the air and the serious health problems that they cause, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Cities, where dense traffic and population converge, are now facing the challenge of addressing this often-overlooked pollutant.
Across Europe, and especially in leading cities like London, efforts to curb transport-related emissions have shown progress. Investments in low-emission zones and electrification of fleets have been bringing down exhaust emissions – but as exhaust-emissions reduce, the problem of NEEs becomes a larger and larger share of transport emissions.
MORE INFO: EIT Urban Mobility
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