To Further Tackle Air Pollution, Progress Continues On Gothenburg Protocol Revision Under The UNECE Air Convention

Following the 2023 decision to revise the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication, and Ground-Level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol) under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, aimed at further strengthening air pollution reduction efforts across Europe and North America, Parties have advanced discussions on key issues.

At the 45th session of the Executive Body (Geneva, 8–11 December 2025), Parties examined elements related to the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol and guidance documents.

The Executive Body reiterated the importance of methane as an ozone precursor, recalling support for the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary initiative aimed at reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030. Parties agreed that action to reduce black carbon emissions should continue through prioritising emission reduction measures and expressed support for including mandatory reporting on this pollutant in the revised Protocol. The Executive Body requested the Working Group on Strategies and Review to further discuss proposals to introduce collective goals on black carbon and methane at its sixty-fourth session.

Parties agreed that more action was needed on ammonia and noted that the potential for further reduction exists. Parties also considered options status and future application of technical annexes for stationary and mobile sources to the Protocol, noting that the new contents should focus on the needs of the current non-Parties to the Protocol. The Executive Body requested additional work on the content of possible revised technical annexes on these sources on the basis of different ambition levels, as well as on the annex related to agricultural sources. The Executive Body highlighted that emission reduction commitments remain the cornerstone of the future revised Protocol.

Further efforts to reduce emissions were supported through the adoption of new and updated guidance documents. The revised guidance on national nitrogen budgets provides direction to assess nitrogen flows, while the updated guidance on stationary sources outlines control techniques for emissions of sulfur, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter (including PM10, PM2.5, and black carbon). Additionally, guidance on non-technical measures highlights a comprehensive mix of policy instruments, such as pricing strategies, research investments, infrastructure planning, and public awareness initiatives.