Us Vs Europe: Who Pollutes More?

The United States and Europe have both been major contributors to global carbon dioxide emissions, with the US being the second-largest regional emitter and Europe being the third. However, the US and Europe now account for less than one-third of emissions, with China being the world's largest emitter. While the overall pollution in the US is considered worse than in Europe, northern European countries have the same average pollution levels as the US. In terms of air quality legislation, the US and EU have implemented policies to improve air quality, but there are differences in their approaches, with the US focusing more on business and fiscal concerns, while the EU tends to emphasize environmental and human health.

Air pollution levels

Today, the US and Europe account for less than one-third of emissions. However, when it comes to per capita emissions, the US is one of the highest emitters, with emissions around three times the global average. In contrast, many European countries have much lower emissions than the US, with some countries, like Portugal, France, and the UK, closer to the global average.

According to a 2014 article in the New York Times, the average pollution level in American cities is 9.6, with 33% of cities exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) standards. These cities tend to be those with heavy industry and high car usage, such as Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Outside of WHO standards, the US has its own particulate matter standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter, and 13% of American cities have pollution levels higher than this.

In comparison, the average European city has pollution levels of 21.7 micrograms per cubic meter, more than double the WHO limit. A staggering 93% of European cities have unsafe levels of pollution according to WHO standards. However, it is worth noting that the EU's standard is much more relaxed than the WHO's, and Europe has made strides in improving air quality. A report by the WHO in 2016 found that lower levels of pollution were more prevalent in North America and high-income European countries than in most other places. However, a higher percentage of European cities exceeded WHO limits than in North America, with more than 60% of European cities failing to meet the guidelines compared to less than 20% in North America.

While the US has made progress in reducing air pollution, there are still areas for improvement. The US and EU have both achieved significant improvements in air quality, but a more integrated and ambitious approach is needed in both regions to address the ongoing issue of air pollution and its impact on health, living organisms, vegetation, water, soil, and buildings.

Air quality legislation

Air pollution is a leading cause of environmental health problems globally. As major global economies, both the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have taken significant steps towards updating air quality standards to improve public health and environmental sustainability.

US Air Quality Legislation

The US air quality regime evolved from the Clean Air Act of 1963. In 1970, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a legislative amendment granted the agency wide-reaching federal enforcement powers. However, under the neoliberal reforms of the Reagan administration, many of the EPA's powers were reduced or devolved to the states, with environmental policy tools increasingly reframed to prioritize economic measures of success. The last major update to the US Clean Air Act came in 1990, which set the legal basis for the future sulfur trading system. In February 2024, the EPA updated the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter and the Air Quality Index, reducing the annual PM2.5 standards from 12.0 micrograms per cubic meter to 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter.

EU Air Quality Legislation

EU-wide air quality legislation emerged in the 1980s due to German government and industry forces lobbying for harmonization measures to prevent the effects of acid rain on forests. The National Emissions Ceilings Directive, first adopted in 2001, sets binding pollution emission limits for member states. EU legislation is characterized as placing greater emphasis on precautionary approaches that view environmental protection as outside the scope of economic debates and prioritize human health and ecological balance. On February 20, 2024, the EU Council and European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on proposing new air quality standards to achieve zero pollution and contribute to a non-toxic environment by 2030.

Comparison

Comparative analyses of US and EU air quality policies highlight key differences rooted in their respective histories. US legislation tends to be more business-friendly, while EU legislation uses more eco-centric language. The EU's legislation emphasizes precautionary approaches and places environmental protection outside economic debates, while the US has reframed its policies to prioritize economic measures of success. Despite these differences, both the US and the EU have achieved significant improvements in air quality. However, the area of air quality management in both regions requires a more integrated and ambitious approach to address the global problem of air pollution.

CO2 emissions

In recent years, the landscape of CO2 emissions has changed. While the United States and Europe previously dominated emissions, they now account for less than one-third of emissions. Asia, particularly China, has seen a significant rise in emissions in the second half of the 20th century. As of 2018, China emits more carbon dioxide than the United States and the European Union combined. This is due in part to China's heavy reliance on coal-fired power during its industrialization.

When comparing the United States and Europe in terms of CO2 emissions, it is important to consider per capita emissions. The United States has higher per capita emissions than many European countries. The richest decile in the United States emits over 55 tonnes of CO2 per capita each year, while the richest decile in the European Union emits around 24 tonnes. This disparity is partly due to differences in power grids, with the United States having more emissions-intensive power sources.

In summary, while the United States has higher CO2 emissions than individual European countries, the overall contribution of the US and Europe combined has decreased due to the rapid industrialization of other regions, particularly China. Efforts to reduce emissions should focus on the largest regional emitters, such as North America and Europe, while also addressing the significant contributions of individual countries like China.

Per capita emissions

In general, countries with high standards of living tend to have higher per capita emissions due to their high carbon footprint. For example, the United States, Australia, and Canada have some of the highest per capita emissions, with emissions approximately three times higher than the global average. The average American produces the same amount of emissions in under two days as the average person in Mali or Niger does in an entire year.

In contrast, many countries across Europe have much lower per capita emissions than the US, Canada, or Australia. Some European countries, including Portugal, France, and the UK, have emissions close to the global average. These countries tend to produce a higher share of electricity from nuclear and renewable sources.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of people in 3,000 cities across 103 countries were exposed to pollution exceeding the limits set by their guidelines. While lower levels of pollution were more prevalent in North America and high-income European countries, a higher percentage of European cities exceeded WHO limits compared to North American cities (60% vs. 20%).

Within the top 10% of global emitters, the richest decile in the United States emits over 55 tonnes of CO2 per capita each year, while the richest decile in the European Union emits around 24 tonnes of CO2 per capita. Every income group in the EU has a lower carbon footprint than its US equivalent due to less emissions-intensive power grids.

Methane emissions

While the United States and Europe have historically been the world's largest polluters, in recent decades, this has changed significantly. The US and Europe now account for less than one-third of emissions, with China being the world's largest emitter, responsible for more than one-quarter of global emissions. North America, dominated by the US, is the second-largest regional emitter, responsible for one-fourth of global emissions, closely followed by Europe.

In terms of methane emissions specifically, the EU has world-leading Methane Regulations in place to reduce methane emissions in the energy sector, reinforcing its global leadership in the fight against climate change. Methane is the second most significant contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, and its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere is even stronger than that of carbon dioxide. The EU's regulations aim to ensure that lifecycle methane emissions do not exceed 3% of delivered volumes when using fossil gas for electricity generation.

The US has also taken steps to reduce methane emissions. In December 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule expected to achieve methane reductions of 87% relative to 2005 levels. This rule was announced at COP28, and the US has joined the Global Methane Pledge, along with other countries, to accelerate efforts to reduce methane emissions.

A comparison of methane emissions between the US and Europe is complex and depends on various factors. For example, a study by Wood Mackenzie found that the lifecycle emissions of US LNG delivered to Europe are typically around 48% of the coal equivalent. However, this is not just due to higher emissions from coal combustion but also the extremely high methane losses associated with underground-mined bituminous coals from Appalachia, a key source of imported thermal coal in Northwest Europe.

In summary, while both the US and Europe have implemented measures to reduce methane emissions, a direct comparison of their relative pollution levels is challenging due to the complexity of emissions sources and the numerous factors that contribute to overall pollution levels.

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