Publication: Cleaner Transport Fuels for Cleaner Air in Central Asia and the Caucasus
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2001-08
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2014-09-30
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Combating pollution needs to be based on standards supported by enforced regulatory, and physical infrastructure, not always in place in countries in transition from central planning to a market economy. Policymakers in the Central Asia and the Caucus region, however, are recognizing the need for such steps against pollution, demonstrated by their commitment to phase out lead from gasoline. To support these efforts, the Bank undertook a regional study on cleaner transport fuels for urban quality improvement in the region, recognizing that fuel quality improvements should be linked to broader air quality management, to ensure cost-effectiveness, and in addressing these issues, it is therefore possible to build on economies of scale, avoid duplications, allow the transfer of experience, and facilitate intra-regional trade in petroleum products. This lead to this study's observations, and recommendations. The establishment of continuous monitoring of the "classical" pollutants, should permit comparison with international standards, by monitoring fine particles, airborne lead, and ground-level ozone. In turn, facilities with diagnostic equipment, and qualified technicians should be available, including vehicle registration systems. It is recommended that gasoline lead should be eliminated by 2005, sulfur in gasoline should be limited by 2015, benzene reductions should be phased out, and instead introduce the acceptable diesel sulfur specifications, and standards as in developed countries. Considerations should include the installation of isomer units; reevaluation on the role of refineries in gasoline production; and, fuel-quality specifications in privatization biding documents, should ensure predictability of regulations.
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“World Bank. 2001. Cleaner Transport Fuels for Cleaner Air in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Energy Sector Management Assistance
Programme (ESMAP);no. ESM 242 / 01. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20292 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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However, by coming later than Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regions to ultra-low sulfur fuels, SSA refineries are in a position to benefit from the operating experience and process improvements obtained elsewhere in the refining industry.Publication Urban Air Quality Management : Coordinating Transport, Environment, and Energy Policies in Developing Countries(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2001-09)Transport-related air pollution is increasingly contributing to environmental health risks in many developing country cities. The social costs of poor urban quality can be significant, making this issue an immediate priority. Long-term measures for dealing with the problem include urban planning, and traffic demand management. This paper however, focuses primarily on cost-effective measures, that are feasible to implement, and that can bring measurable results in the short to medium term. There is a tendency in the environment sector, to focus narrowly on controlling emissions by importing the best available technology. Cost-effective, and sustainable solutions, however, require much broader approaches. In developing countries, improving air quality is not simply a matter of importing advanced technologies, while, choices concerning feasibility, sequencing, and timing of pollution reducing measures, have serious fiscal, and economic consequences. Thus the guiding principle for selection of strategies, should be the balancing of costs, benefits, and technical, and institutional feasibility. Monitoring, and enforcement are essential , but countries need to know the nature, and magnitude of the pollution problem, to determine the speed, and rigor with which policies should be implemented. Furthermore, pollution enforcement measures have implications on petroleum taxation, and on the tariff regime, as well as for traffic management.
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