Country-Specific Information
Environmental protection and health are key issues in today's world. This is borne out by the on-
going discussions on climate change und the threat to mankind and the environment posed by combustion-
engine exhaust emissions. The increasing volume of traffic is a major challenge for society at large. The results are manifold and include two crunch requirements for the design of the combustion engines of today and tomorrow, namely eco-
compatibility and efficiency. As far as environmental considerations are concerned, there is a critical debate focused primarily on the carbon dioxide (CO2) and the soot-
particle and nitrogen-
oxide emissions of vehicles and engine-
driven machinery.
- Pollutants
Along with the emissions produced by industry, domestic households and power stations, the pollutants from road traffic are of major significance in this respect.
- Germany
Information on urban low emission zones (LEZs), the motorway truck toll regulations, tax breaks and state subsidies, including the 'de-minimis' aids, for example.
- Europe
The European Council Directive on ambient air quality assessment and management aims at maintaining ambient air quality where it is good and improving it in other cases, particularly in the major cities of Europe.
Diesel vehicles – one of the most significant sources of pollution
A background paper drawn up by the German Federal Environmental Agency in 2005 identifies road traffic in general and diesel-powered vehicles in particular as among the most significant sources of pollution. The particulate matter in soot from these sources constitutes a tremendous health hazard, because high PM levels reduce life expectancy by a significant margin, six months being the figure quoted as the average. Consequently, various measures to reduce the release of pollutants and control pollutant concentrations have been and are being introduced at the international, European and national level. Such measures include the EU Air Quality Directive, which came into force at the beginning of 2005 and sets limits for air pollution from particulate matter and other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide.Despite the measures implemented to date for more environmental protection and better health and safety, it would be wrong to assume that they alone suffice to check the increasing strain on the ecosystem. Against the backdrop of the increasingly strident debate on the environment and climate change, over the coming years society at large and governments in particular will have no alternative but to undertake wide-reaching action to achieve an ecological turn-around, while at the same time significantly extending those measures that have already been implemented.
This general development offers HJS both possibilities and opportunities to continue making its mark. It is in this vein that HJS intends forging ahead with setting national and international standards with its extensive worldwide patent rights for DPF® and SCRT® so as to develop social and economic principles in a way that will contribute significantly to protecting mankind and the planet.
