Air pollution remains a critical environmental challenge in the EU, with the heating and cooling sector significantly contributing to the release of harmful pollutants. These emissions include 73% of Particulate Matter (PM2.5), 33% of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), 2% Ammonia (NH3), 18% of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs), 61% of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and 49% of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) – all of which pose serious health risks. Buildings and residential homes are a key source of these pollutants.
Following the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive, several Member States will need to deploy additional efforts to comply with the more stringent air quality 2030 targets, as the EU has aligned its standards more closely with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guideline levels.
In this situation, correctly identifying the drivers behind air pollution is crucial for selecting and recommending cleaner alternatives to current practices.
Despite a gradual shift to less polluting energy sources for heating in the EU, combustion devices emitting pollutants still dominate the energy mix, accounting for 97% of heat production in 2022, according to a JRC (Joint Research Centre, EU Science Hub) study.
The last two decades have seen progress in the quality and efficiency of European heating. While the EU27 decreased its overall (HVAC) Gross Final Energy Consumption (GFEC) in 2022 (latest data available at the time of the study) by 9.5% compared to 2005.
