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The United Nations Environment Program has announced that the use of lead in petroleum gas has ended worldwide, following a multi-stakeholder campaign that began in 2002. Leaded gasoline has been phased out in countries and regions around the world, and elimination is now complete globally, reports UNEP. Algeria was the last country to end the use of lead gas.
Tetraethyl lead had been added to gasoline to improve engine performance and was used in “almost all gasoline produced in the world”, posing a serious threat to human health and the environment by contaminating the air, dust, soil, drinking water and food crops. The impacts of lead on human health include heart disease, stroke, and cancer, and it interferes with children’s brain development.
The Clean Fuels and Vehicles Partnership (PCFV) was created at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Summit) to provide technical assistance, invest in refinery upgrades and overcome resistance from major producers. The alliance is made up of governments, the fuel and vehicle industries, and civil society, and UNEP hosts the secretariat.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said that with this milestone, “we are reinvigorated to change humanity’s trajectory for the better through an accelerated transition to clean vehicles and electric mobility.” She called for the adoption of cleaner vehicle standards globally.
Also according to UNEP, the adoption of cleaner fuels and vehicles can reduce emissions by more than 80%. The transport sector is responsible for almost a quarter of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2050 this share is expected to reach one-third of all energy-related GHG emissions .
UN officials have said the campaign could provide a model for phasing out coal, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres call for switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Leaded gasoline was the world’s largest source of lead pollution, but UNEP stresses that there is still an urgent need to stop lead pollution in paints, batteries and household items.
The PCFV supports a vehicle campaign and a sulfur campaign in addition to the lead campaign. [UNEP press release] [PCFV website]
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