UN’s clean fuels initiative focuses on three global campaigns

A global initiative coordinated by the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme (UNEP) and supported by the United States, Netherlands, Canada and other countries has three global campaigns underway to reduce vehicle emissions. The first goal is to reduce sulfur in automotive and vehicle fuels, the second is to eliminate leaded gasoline and the third is to adopt cleaner vehicle standards and technologies.UNEP reports that the use of low sulfur fuels in Sub-Saharan Africa alone would save $1 billion per year in health related costs. Kenya has begun importing low-sulfur diesel fuel which will soon be available at pumps nationwide, according to UNEP. Tanzania is beginning a similar program. Financial projections for savings from using a low-sulfur diesel fuel in combination with cleaner vehicles are US$43 billion in Africa over a 10-year period.At the present time, nearly 100 countries have initiated programs to reduce sulfur levels in diesel. (February 22, 2011)