Global mercury emissions can be halved
There is a huge but untapped potential for reducing global emissions of mercury. Mercury emissions can be more than halved by 2020 with the help of modern technology, according to a recent report funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. The report was presented at a packed seminar on Tuesday during the UN mercury conference in Stockholm.
- Photographer
- Johannes Jansson/norden.org
Today there are many alternatives to the traditional use of mercury in various products, while modern technologies can help drastically lower emissions from industry, for example. The metal industry and power plants which use fossil fuels account for over half of the total mercury emissions which derive from human activity. By using different types of filters in coal fired power stations or purification technologies in the metal industry emissions can be drastically reduced.
The new report includes concrete examples of companies that have developed these technologies, for example, Finnish Outotec. Outotec's technology to cut emissions from metal production is used by dozens of production plants around the world - this reduces the total mercury emissions by up to 300 tonnes per year.
The report, drawn up by the consultancy firm COWI, also suggests mercury friendly alternatives that can be used in areas such as the health sector and in connection with gold mining.
This historic negotiation meeting in Stockholm is the first of five meetings on the road to a global, binding agreement for the use and emissions of mercury. The goal is that the agreement should be in place by 2013. The Mercury Conference, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, brings together hundreds of decision makers and experts, as well as representatives from NGOs from around the world in Stockholm, 7 -11 June.
