Overview of news items 2010
Here you will find the news items of the selected year listed in chronological order.
Payments to farmers improve the quality of rural areas, when awarded under strict conditions
Newsitem | 21-12-2010
Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy offers options for remunerating farmers for taking measures that benefit agricultural nature, landscape, water quality, adaptation to climate change, and environmental quality of nature areas.
... read moreThe PBL at the climate summit in Cancun
Newsitem | 07-12-2010
Analyses by the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency are supporting the Dutch delegation at the climate negotiations in Cancun. In addition, the PBL also gives presentations and participates in a number of side events. On 7 December, in ... read more
Choices in climate policy important for Dutch air quality
Newsitem | 30-11-2010
Several indicative climate policy packages for 2020 have been found to result in mainly favourable co-impacts on Dutch air quality. The extent of their contribution to air quality does depend on the specific measures in the climate package. This report ... read more
UNEP report: Gap of 5 gigatonnes between Copenhagen Agreement and 2 °C target
Newsitem | 23-11-2010
It is estimated that, in order to have a likely chance (over 66%) of limiting global mean temperature increase to 2 °C, annual greenhouse gas emissions need to stay around 44 gigatonnes, by 2020. If all countries fully adhere to the pledges they made ... read more
Policies to reduce acidification in the Netherlands justified
Newsitem | 08-11-2010
In the past, no unnecessary policy measures have been taken to reduce acidification (acid rain). Although the severity of acidification has declined because of policy implementation, acidification issues have certainly not been solved, yet. These are ... read more
What is the economic value of biodiversity?
Newsitem | 29-10-2010
The economic value of biodiversity is an important subject at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Nagoya. Monday 25 October was dedicated to discussing the international study on The Economics ... read more
Continuing biodiversity loss predicted, but could be slowed
Newsitem | 29-10-2010
A new analysis of several major global studies of future species shifts and losses foresees inevitable continuing decline of biodiversity during the 21st century. However, it offers new hope that it could be slowed if emerging policy choices are pursued. ... read more
Producers hold the key to halt biodiversity loss
Newsitem | 19-10-2010
Dutch demand for products from tropical regions is influential in the rapid decline of local plant and animal species (biodiversity) in those regions. These are not only products such as palm oil, coffee, wood, or soy for animal feed, but also meat ... read more
Less risk of intestinal cancer justifies nitrate policy on drinking water
Newsitem | 06-10-2010
Research has shown that of the annual number of cases of intestinal cancer in Europe, around 3% can be attributed to nitrate in drinking water. For the Netherlands the annual figure is 2% or 100 additional cases. This would mean that health benefits ... read more
Global ecosystems heavily under pressure; the PBL identifies new strategies for the COP10 in Nagoya
Newsitem | 05-10-2010
The mere protection of valuable nature areas, although still necessary, will not be sufficient for reducing global biodiversity loss in the coming decades. To strongly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, structural changes in consumption and production ... read more
Increasing the adaptive capacity of ecosystems can make them climate-proof
Newsitem | 30-09-2010
Nature areas in the Netherlands are vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Under implementation of the current nature policy, sustainable conservation of all plant- and animal species in all areas will not be feasible. Nature policy could ... read more
Integration of Ecosystem Goods and Services into international policies as opportunity to reduce poverty
Newsitem | 05-08-2010
This study shows how local delivery of ecosystem goods and services (EGS) is closely linked to international policies on development cooperation, trade, climate change and reform of international financial institutions. Integrating or mainstreaming ... read more
More particulate matter from sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia than previously assumed
Newsitem | 13-07-2010
Emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia are mainly from anthropogenic origin: traffic, energy production and agriculture. It was found that contributions to particulate matter from the conversion of these atmospheric compounds appear ... read more
Key findings of IPCC on regional climate-change impacts found to be robust
Newsitem | 05-07-2010
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has found no errors that would undermine the main conclusions in the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on possible future regional impacts of climate change. However, ... read more
Announcement: PBL will present Assessing an IPCC assessment to minister of Environment
Newsitem | 01-07-2010
On Monday July 5th, Minister Huizinga of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) will be presented with the analysis report Assessing an IPCC assessment, by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). In its ... read more
China and India nullify global reduction in CO2 emissions
Newsitem | 01-07-2010
Despite the continued economic crisis, global emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, have remained constant in 2009, as strong increases in CO2 emissions from fast-growing developing countries, such as China and India, have completely ... read more
Research confirms correct measurement of wet nitrogen deposition
Newsitem | 22-06-2010
In the Netherlands, nearly all wet nitrogen deposition occurs in the form of ammonium and nitrate. Such is the main conclusion from a study of non-routinely measured forms of nitrogen in precipitation. This means that contributions to total nitrogen ... read more
Serious indirect effects of some biofuels on global biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions
Newsitem | 31-05-2010
Many biofuels that are presently sold on the European transport market need agricultural land for their production. Effects from indirect land-use change (ILUC) have a negative impact, not only on greenhouse gases as has been reported earlier, but ... read more
‘Copenhagen’ target is coming closer
Newsitem | 28-05-2010
The Copenhagen Accord has proven beneficial to the efforts of achieving the target of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius. Since the climate conference was held, countries have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These pledges ... read more
The land use effects of biofuels lead to biodiversity loss
Newsitem | 27-05-2010
The objective of using biofuels is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the long term, this can reduce the negative impact of climate change on biodiversity. Several biofuels are grown in existing agricultural areas. This will indirectly lead to ... read more
Models of limited value to determine indirect land use change (ILUC) factors for biofuels
Newsitem | 25-05-2010
Biofuels have the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Besides direct emissions from the production chain emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC) can reduce this potential. Therefore, the possibility to include an ILUC-emission factor ... read more
CPB and PBL have analyzed election platforms
Newsitem | 20-05-2010
At the request of nine political parties, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency have mapped out the effects of the respective election platforms on the economy and the environment. The ... read more
Documentation of shipping emissions of particulate matter in the Netherlands
Newsitem | 07-04-2010
Proper estimation of shipping emissions is essential for an impact assessment of shipping on air quality and health in port cities and coastal regions. In the Netherlands shipping is an important source of particulate matter. This report provides an ... read more
By-products of biofuels reduce indirect land-use change
Newsitem | 02-04-2010
The cultivation of energy crops on arable land may lead to the displacement of food crops and to indirect land-use change (ILUC) with biodiversity loss and extra greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the energy crops for biofuels deliver feed as by-products, ... read more
Agricultural intensification may restrict indirect effects of bio-energy
Newsitem | 02-04-2010
Agricultural intensification has the potential to reduce indirect land-use change from biofuels. If such intensification is realised only by applying more fertiliser, this may lead to substantial indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Improvement of fertiliser-use ... read more
Website GLOBIO model fully renewed
Newsitem | 22-03-2010
The GLOBIO model is a tool to assess past, present and future human impact on biodiversity. As a policy tool, it is regularly applied in global, regional and national assessments. The GLOBIO model is the result of a collaboration between the Netherlands ... read more
Interaction nitrogen deposition with climate change and loss of biodiversity
Newsitem | 18-03-2010
The CCE Status Report 2009 demonstrates that effects of nitrogen deposition are interrelated with the change of climate and biodiversity. The report proposes indicators, modelling methodologies and results addressing critical loads, dynamics of ecosystem ... read more
Indirect effects of bio-energy worrisome
Newsitem | 18-02-2010
Bio-energy has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Indirect effects might partly or even completely undo this advantage. Indirect land use change (ILUC) – leading to emissions and loss of nature – is an important example, but ... read more
New generation climate scenarios also focus on policy targets
Newsitem | 15-02-2010
Currently, a new generation of climate scenarios is being developed to enable a better understanding of the influence that greenhouse gases have on our climate. For the first time, these scenarios will focus on the various objectives of climate policy, ... read more
Correction wording flood risks for the Netherlands in IPCC report
Newsitem | 05-02-2010
In the 2007 IPCC report by the Working group 2 (Climate change 2007: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability) a mistake has entered the text that was supplied by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, regarding the risks of flooding for the ... read more
