Glossary

Aarhus convention

A UN treaty signed on 25 June 1998 by the European Union in the Danish city of Aarhus, providing for access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. It is known as the Aarhus convention. This website is a result of the Aarhus convention.

Atmosferic Deposition

The factsheet atmosferic deposition for the Netherlands and the Netherlands Continental Shelf describes the method used to calculate deposition on coastal waters. Coastal waters are defined by a 1 mile distance from shore. This website contains data of all saltwater, including Waddenzee, Oosterschelde and Westerschelde.

Catchment area

A catchment area is the area from which surface runoff is carried away by a single drainage system. In general, this term is used for the area of land bounded by watersheds draining into a specific river, basin or reservoir.

Classification in maps

The 9 colour ranges in the maps presented run from light yellow to dark red. This classification is calculated automatically using the minimal and maximal emission values. One out of three methods can be used: equal value, equal count and equal value based on logarithmic values.

CO₂ equivalents

The effect of the various greenhouse gases is measured by converting them into so-called CO₂ equivalents. One CO₂ equivalent equals the effect of the emission of 1 kilogram of CO₂. The emission of 1 kilogram of N₂O equals 310 CO₂ equivalents and emission of 1 kilogram of CH₄ equals 21 CO₂ equivalents. All (chloro)fluorocarbon (CFC) gases have a high CO₂ equivalent, but because CFC emissions are relatively small, their contribution to the nationwide total is marginal.

Compartment

Air, water and soil represent the three classical compartments. Two extra compartments have been added to the Emission register. These are: ‘Air’ and the compartment ‘Air IPCC’, excluding some national emissions (e.g. emissions from international shipping, air traffic above a certain level and the use of biofuels). Water has three compartments: ‘Discharged load to surface water’, ‘Load to sewers’ and ‘Load to sewers and surface waters’. See also the general explanation of compartiments

Competent authority

The national authority assigned by a member state to validate emissions. In the Netherlands the provinces validate the emissions to air from the larger facilities. The municipalities validate the emissions from agriculture. For emissions to water the competent authority is the local water board assigned to the catchment area; in the case of large rivers or the sea, the competent authority is the national government.

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC's)

Ozone-depleting substances mentioned in the Montreal protocol, consisting of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon: CFCl₃ (CFC-11), CF₂CL₂ (CFC-12), C₂F₃Cl₂ (CFC-113), C₂F₅Cl (CFC-115), CF₃Cl (CFC-13), C₂FCl₅ (CFC-111), C₂F₂Cl₄ (CFC-112), C₃FCl₇ (CFC-211), C₃F₂Cl₆ (CFC212), C₃F₃Cl₅ (CFC-213), C₃F₄Cl₄, (CFC-214), C₃F₅Cl₃ (CFC-215), C₃F₆Cl₂ (CFC-216), C₃F₇Cl (CFC-217).

Diffuse sources

The large number of small and scattered sources which can produce emissions to the air, soil and water. Their combined effect can be significant but it is not practical to report them individually. Within the Dutch emission register every emission source without an individual emission report is considered to be a diffuse source, including emissions from transportation, consumers etc. but also emissions from small and medium sized enterprises

Direct and indirect emissions (to water)

Direct emissions are emissions direct to the surface water (load to surface water). Indirect emissions are emissions to the sewer system and sewage treatment plant (emissions to water). See the explanation of compartiments.

Embargo sheet

The Dutch Emission Register contains the emissions of more than a hundred components. But not always all sources are known. Consequently there is no national figure given. In order to publish as much data as possible we use the so called Embargo sheet, stating the sources without a known emission for a given component.

EMEP

European co-operative programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the long-range transmission of air Pollutants

Emission source

The emission source is the most detailed level for defining emissions on a national scale. More than a thousand emission sources are summed in a hierarchy of over 100 sub-sectors and 14 sectors. Some emission sources within such sectors as Industry or Energy have another level below the emissions source: the individual facilities.

ESD - effort sharing decision

The Effort Sharing Decision establishes binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for Member States for the period 2013–2020. These targets concern emissions from most sectors not included in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), such as transport (except aviation), buildings, agriculture and waste. The Effort Sharing Decision forms part of a set of policies and measures on climate change and energy – known as the climate and energy package - that will help move Europe towards a low-carbon economy and increase its energy security.

EPER : European Pollutant Emission Register

EPER is the first European-wide register of industrial emissions to air and water. It provides access to information on the annual emissions of approximately 12,000 facilities in the 25 member states of the EU and Norway for the year 2004. It allows you to group information easily, by pollutant, activity (sector), air and water (direct or via a sewer system) or by country. It is also possible to see detailed data on individual facilities. EPER has delivered two datasets: one for 2001 and one for 2004. EPER has been replaced by E-PRTR (see below).

E-PRTR : European Pollution Release and Transfer Register

The European PRTR is the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register: the European-wide register of industrial and non-industrial releases into air, water, land and off-site transfers of waste water and waste, including information of point and diffuse sources. The first E-PRTR reporting year is 2007. E-PRTR replaces EPER. 

ETS- Emissions trading system

The EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) is a cornerstone of the European Union's policy to combat climate change and its key tool for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively. It is the first - and still by far the biggest - international system for trading greenhouse gas emission allowances. The EU ETS covers more than 11,000 power stations and industrial plants in 31 countries, as well as airlines. Dutch Emission trading is regulated by NEa

Facility

Facility is the formal id for a company or point source. A facility is defined as an industrial complex with one or more installations on the same site.

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gaseous components of the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect. The major natural greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and ozone. Other greenhouse gases are methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorcarbons (HFC's) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆).

Halons

Ozone-depleting substances taken up in the Montreal protocol: CF₂BrCl, CF₃Br, C₂F₄Br₂, CH₃Br. 

Heavy metals

Heavy metals are a group of elements - between copper and lead on the periodic tables of the elements - having atomic weights between 63.546 and 200.590 and specific gravities greater than 4.0 g/cm³. Living organisms require trace amounts of some heavy metals, including cobalt, copper, manganese and zinc, but excessive levels can be detrimental to the organism. Other heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium have no known vital or beneficial effect on organisms, and their accumulation over time in the bodies of mammals can cause serious illness.

HFC's

Hydrofluorocarbons, a group of greenhouse gases: HFC23, HFC32, HFC41, HFC4310mee, HFC125, HFC134, HFC134a, HFC152a, HFC143, HFC143a, HFC227ea, HFC236fa, HFC245ca, HFC365mfc.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons(HCFC's)

Ozone-depleting substances taken up in the Montreal Protocol; they comprise hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, and carbon.

IPCC : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation

IPPC : Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control

IPPC forms the subject matter of Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996, concerning integrated pollution prevention and control, a European Union regulation which is referred to as the IPPC Directive.

Kyoto protocol

Emissions calculated adhering to the Kyoto protocol set forth by IPCC. The Kyoto protocol (UN, 1997) describes national emission ceilings for greenhouse gases for each memberstate for the 2008-2012 period.

Method report

A method report describes how the emissions of a specific emission source are calculated. You can find these reports selecting 'documents' in the menu. Many of them are in Dutch.

NACE

Statistical Classification of Economic Activities from the European Union: Nomenclature générale des Activités économiques dans les Communautés Européennes.

NEC: National Emission Ceiling

DIRECTIVE 2001/81/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 October 2001 on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants.

Perfluorocarbons (PFC's)

Ozone-depleting substances mentioned in the Montreal protocol. Sum of CF₄, C₂F₆, C₃F₈, C₄F₁₀, c-C₄F₈, C₅F₁₂, C₆F₁₄. PFC is 6500-9200 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Point source

In the Dutch Emission Register a point source is the synonym of a company or facility with known individual emissions. However, not all the emissions from all the point sources are known. Point sources without known individual emissions belong therefore to diffuse sources.

Spatial allocation

This is the process in which national emissions are allocated to a spatial unit (e.g. municipality, province, gridcel or water catchment area).

UNECE

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

UNECE-CLRTAP

UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

UNFCCC

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Water catchment area

A water catchment area is the area from which surface runoff is carried away by a single drainage system. In general this term is used for the area of land bounded by watersheds draining into a specific river, basin or reservoir.