Air pollution is an urgent public health crisis in the European Union, responsible for 240,000 deaths every year, according to the European Environment Agency. premature deaths. Although the primary focus is on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and other pollutants, a key source of emissions that also has a significant impact on climate change is heating, especially solid fuel heating. In order for the EU to meet its 2030 air quality limits, as defined in the Directive 2024/2881, and its vision of a pollution-free environment by 2050, an effective revision of the ecodesign requirements for solid fuel local heating systems and solid fuel boilers is essential.

Climate consequences of heating with solid fuels

Urban areas are significantly affected by pollution and emissions from wood heating and other solid fuel combustion, which primarily occurs in urban residential areas. The use of these devices, while serving as a backup source of heating and a temporary means of alleviating excessive load on the electricity grid, has significant climate and environmental consequencesIf the trend of solid biomass use for heating, which increased by 152.6 % in the EU between 2006 and 2020, continues, the impact of the heating sector on the total volume of certain air pollutants is likely to increase.

An interesting case is Milan, where the 2021 Lombardy regional emissions inventory attributed 0.% of CO2 emissions to domestic biomass boilers, even though the biomass was not necessarily produced locally. This data suggests that measuring and allocating carbon emissions from biomass can be complex and methodology-dependent, which has a direct impact on understanding its climate impact. Solid fuel heating systems can therefore produce high emissions even due to operator errors., which complicates accurate emissions estimates.

Transition to “climate-positive energy sources”

It is crucial for the EU to achieve an effective energy transition, which takes time and development. clean, climate-positive and reliable energy sources. Tightening the regulation of solid fuel heating appliances, although a temporary solution, can serve as an effective alternative during this transition. Existing ecodesign rules are a key step for cities to control emissions from solid fuel heating appliances, as they ensure that newly manufactured appliances are more efficient and less polluting. However, with the new EU Directive 2024/2881 significantly tightening limit values for key air pollutants by 2030, there is a need strengthen regulatory ambitions and align them with local policies.

Cities as leaders in climate protection Cities play a key role not only in raising awareness about the dangers of solid fuel heating and monitoring air quality, but also in implementing climate protection initiatives. Here are a few examples:

• Warsaw As part of its fight against smog, the Office for Air Protection and Climate Policy created a subsidy program for boiler replacement. This program, which included 100 % of replacement costs, also supported heat pumps and photovoltaics - technologies that are clearly climate-friendlyBy the end of 2023, Warsaw managed to reduce the number of boilers by more than 80 %.
• Metropolis Grenoble Alpes launched the “Air Attitude” platform to support citizens’ initiatives aimed at reducing air pollution. In addition, the city launched a website to raise awareness about the impact of wood heating (which accounts for 43 % PM2.5) on household budgets, air quality and climate.
• Vienna has its own “climate protection roadmap”, which includes the gradual phasing out of gas in favour of district heating, heat pumps and solar heating. Although Vienna already has a very low number of solid fuel heating installations, this strategy demonstrates a comprehensive approach to climate protection through energy transition.

These measures, although they may increase the cost of new solid fuel heating installations, are perhaps the only viable way forward for the continued use of these installations in European cities, given the EU's vision of zero pollution by 2050. Therefore, it is crucial to reconsider ecodesign requirements and ensure that they only allow the cleanest and most modern facilities with progressively tighter emission limits. The regulation of solid fuel heating systems can thus play a dual role – improve air quality while contributing to climate protection and a more sustainable energy future. Spring

Eurocities Policy Statement