Tropospheric ozone abatement

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High ozone concentrations during summer in Europe’s troposphere remain an unresolved issue. Despite planned measures to reduce precursor emissions in the coming years, these efforts will not suffice to lower ozone levels below health and environmental thresholds. Therefore, further reductions in volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides are crucial. Given the rising costs of emission reduction, it is vital to implement abatement strategies that are both effective—meeting environmental goals—and efficient—minimizing costs. The authors present a methodology and model system designed to identify such strategies for reducing tropospheric ozone concentrations to protect human health, agriculture, and ecosystems. Additionally, the macroeconomic impacts of these strategies are explored, highlighting the unequal distribution of burdens and benefits among countries, leading to discussions on various burden-sharing schemes. This work is grounded in findings from the comprehensive INFOS project, which assessed policy instruments for efficient ozone abatement strategies in Europe, funded by the European Commission under the Fourth Framework Programme for research and technological development.