Life Emerald

The key goal of LIFE Emerald is to strengthen air quality management in Ireland to ensure effective implementation of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQD) and to help implement the European Green Deal. The LIFE EMERALD Project (LIFE19 GIE/IE/001101) is funded under the EU LIFE Programme.

The project will help to ensure that sufficient detailed information on air quality can be made available to citizens and stakeholders to accelerate decisions aimed at tackling air quality issues – addressing the recommendations of the EU Clean Air Dialogue (CAD) review of air policy.

The Project is divided into a set of key Project Actions, including:

• Adaptation of the ATMOSYS suite of air quality models to deliver:
  • An operational 3-day ambient air quality forecasting system for Ireland
  • Detailed near real-time maps for main pollutants, including – Particulate Matter (PM2.5 & PM10), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3).
  • Historical baseline air quality maps
  • An air quality management dashboard for Ireland
  • Support for delivering policy information
• Measurement Campaigns for Model Validation & Awareness – in Edenderry & Dungarvan.
• Developing an improved residential solid fuel inventory for Ireland.
• Monitoring of the social-economic impacts of the project actions.
• Dissemination and outreach activities with the general public, stakeholders, and policy makers in Ireland.
• Outreach and networking across the EU.

3 November 2023 - Air Quality Forecast

The EPA have launched a national air quality forecast to provide greater information to the public regarding expected air quality in Ireland for up to three days (today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow). Forecasts include daily Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH), Particulate Matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). The forecast is available on www.airquality.ie

The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992.

The other main instruments from which the EPA derives its mandate are the Waste Management Act, 1996, and the Protection of the Environment Act, 2003 and the Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014.

Full details on the EPA's Roles & Responsibilities

Our Project Partners:                                  

• ASI
• DECC
• HSE                                 
• UCC
• VITO