Tropospheric ozone is a global air pollution problem and an important greenhouse gas. In large areas of the industrialised and developing world, it remains one of the most pervasive of the global air pollutants, with impacts on human health, food production, and the environment. Since the industrial revolution background ozone has doubled in many parts of the northern hemisphere, and in cities around the world high ozone episodes exceeding the World Health Organisation guidelines continue to occur.

The Royal Society study provides a review of why control efforts in many parts of the world have failed to reduce ozone and its impacts, and, using state of the art scenario and modelling analysis, evaluates how important ozone is likely to be for human health, climate and the environment by the end of the 21st century.

The report and a summary for policy makers are both available on our website at http://royalsociety.org/ozone.

More Information

Item date 06/10/2008