RETROSPECTIVE SCENARIOS: the EU air quality legislation in a global perspective

The EDGARv4.3.1 global anthropogenic emission inventory of several gaseous (SO2, NOx, CO, NMVOC, NH3) and particulate (PM10, PM2.5, BC and OC) air pollutants considers changes in activity data, fuel and air pollution abatement technology, as it likely happened during the past 4 decades, based on statistics and expert knowledge. Additionally, three retrospective scenarios are created, the first simulating the complete stagnation of technology (STAG_TECH: lack of abatement measures and no improvement in emission standards), the second assuming constant fuel mixture and consumption as they were in 1970 (STAG_FUEL: no change in human activities), and the third considering unchanged energy consumption since 1970, but assuming the technological development, end-of-pipe reductions, fuel mix and energy efficiency of 2010 (STAG_ENERGY).