International work to address air pollution is evolving, and recent developments will have significant impact on the countries' national work on air protection. In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) presented new recommendations for air quality to limit negative effects on the environment and health. The EU has recently revised the Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), resulting in more stringent requirements, and a review of the National Emission reduction Commitments Directive is (NECD) underway (to be presented in 2025), with a subsequent revision as a possible outcome. After having completed a review, the Air Convention decided in 2023 on a comprehensive revision of the Gothenburg Protocol, that is expected to be finalised by 2026. In addition, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted in February 2024 a resolution calling for increased global cooperation on air pollution.
The Nordic region has a unique opportunity to make meaningful contributions to these key initiatives. To do so effectively, it is essential to anticipate future challenges and identify the most impactful ways through which the Nordic countries can offer support. Recognizing this, it was agreed that a workshop with Nordic air pollution experts would be both timely and necessary. The objective of the workshop was to identify which issues are most urgent and most suitable for Nordic cooperation.
This Nordic Air Pollution workshop took place in Copenhagen 7–8 of October 2024 and some 30 civil servants and researchers participated with presentations and discussions.
The workshop was set up around five discussion themes:
Clean Air – Regionally and Globally
Clean Air - for Cities and Societies
Clean Air – Ecosystems and Climate
Clean Air – Emission sectors
Clean Air – Efficient Communication
Each theme was introduced by two-three short presentations by experts. After the presentations, all participants selected three questions for in-depth discussions on needs and opportunities for Nordic cooperation. The discussions were moderated by Christer Ågren (independent expert), and Stefan Åström (Anthesis AB), who also chaired the meeting. Christer Ågren have been engaged in European and national air pollution policies for more than 40 years, and Stefan Åström has been involved in national and international applied science-policy research for nearly 20 years.
This workshop report summarizes the issues discussed during the meeting and includes recommendations for potential future initiatives and projects that resulted from the workshop presentations and discussions. Although the outcome of the workshop is a product of joint discussions, the moderators are responsible for the precise wording of the proposals.