Press release

13 Nov 2014

Beirut

Air Pollution from Land Transportation in Lebanon

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Under the patronage of Lebanese Minister of Environment Mohamad Al Machnouk, ESCWA, IPT Energy Centre (IPTEC), the Lebanese Ministry of Environment (MoE) and the UN Development Program (UNDP) today held a conference on “Air Pollution from Land Transportation in Lebanon: Reality and Solutions”, at the UN House, Riad El Solh, Beirut. Concerned stakeholders, experts and the media attended the event. The opening session saw statements by Toni Issa, President of IPTEC, Reem Nejdawi, Head of ESCWA Productive Sectors Section (PSS), Sustainable Development and Productivity Division (SDPD), Ibrahim Haddad, Head of Technical Services at the Ministry of Energy and Water representing Aurore Feghali, Director General of Oil at the Ministry of Energy and Water, and Samar Malek, Head of the Service of Environmental Technology at the Ministry of Environment representing the Minister of Environment Mohamad Al Machnouk At the onset of the conference, Issa stressed the fact that jobs within the energy sector require full commitment to safety and prevention procedures, as well as efficient risk-management through compliance with bylaws and recognized international standards to provide a safe and hygienic working environment. For her part, Nejdawi asserted that the transport sector in Lebanon can be singled out for spreading pollution into residential areas, especially in densely-populated cities. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant to ensuing pollution and its direct impact on air quality and human health, as it is imperative to look into solutions and treatment methods. In his statement, Haddad affirmed that the Ministry of Energy and Water encourages the use of clean, alternative and renewable energy. This is evident in the distribution of energy-efficient light bulbs, solar panels, and similar projects. As for Malek, she stated that the transport sector in Lebanon is the primary cause for air pollution and the deterioration of air quality. She added that this particular sector leads to a 21 percent increase in CO2 from greenhouse gas emissions due to fuel combustion, amounts to. Following the opening, the conference debated the impact of the Land Transportation Sector on Air Pollution and Climate Change in Lebanon, and the proposed Solutions to Reduce Environmental Pollution from Land Transportation in Lebanon. An ESCWA-produced documentary on Eco-Driving was also shown in the session.
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