Air pollutant emissions risk (global, EDGARv8.1 2022)
This layer estimates how much air-pollutant emission pressure originates within each terrestrial area.
Source: JRC EDGAR v8.1 Year: 2022 Category: Transition risks · Pollution Coverage: Global (land only) Format: Raster grid (~5 km) Used in risk analysis: Yes — gates Pollution
What it shows
This layer estimates how much air-pollutant emission pressure originates within each terrestrial area. It captures emissions of the key non-greenhouse pollutants released by industry, transport, energy and other human activities. High emission areas signal places where local air-quality degradation and the associated regulatory, reputational and operational pressures are most likely to arise.
How it is built
The source is the European Commission Joint Research Centre's EDGAR emissions inventory (Fast-Track 2022, totals across all sectors), at roughly a 0.1-degree grid for five pollutants: fine particulates (PM2.5), coarse particulates (PM10), sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Following the WWF method, the territory is divided into hydrological catchment units of around 5,000 square kilometres on average (about 57,600 units worldwide). For each unit the peak emission value is taken for every pollutant, each pollutant is sorted into a five-step risk scale using standardised emission thresholds, and the unit's final class is the worst (highest) class across the five pollutants. These per-unit classes are then mapped onto a ~5 km grid; oceans carry no value.
How to read it
Values run on a five-step ordinal scale: 1 Very low, 2 Low, 3 Moderate, 4 High, 5 Very high. Higher classes indicate greater emitted air-pollutant pressure within the surrounding catchment. This is a screening signal, not a measurement of pollutant concentration at a precise point.
Class thresholds
The underlying quantity is a physical flux: air-pollutant emissions, in tonnes per year (t/year) — the peak emission within each ~5,000 km² HydroBASINS Level 7 catchment, taken from the EDGARv8.1 0.1° gridmaps. Five pollutants are classified independently (PM2.5, PM10, SO₂, NOₓ, CO), each against its own set of four breakpoints, and the catchment's final class is the worst (highest) class across the five pollutants. The per-pollutant upper bounds (in t/year) that define each class are:
| Class | PM2.5 | PM10 | SO₂ | NOₓ | CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Very low | ≤ 10.24 | ≤ 14.52 | ≤ 7.82 | ≤ 52.89 | ≤ 179.89 |
| 2 Low | – 97.15 | – 155.93 | – 89.84 | – 237.71 | – 1 182.36 |
| 3 Moderate | – 483.69 | – 787.28 | – 919.13 | – 1 212.14 | – 5 240.07 |
| 4 High | – 1 072.30 | – 1 783.93 | – 3 943.28 | – 3 512.49 | – 11 215.60 |
| 5 Very high | > 1 072.30 | > 1 783.93 | > 3 943.28 | > 3 512.49 | > 11 215.60 |
A site is flagged on the Pollution dimension when the layer value reaches class 4 (High) or above — i.e. at least one of the five pollutants exceeds its class-4 lower bound within the surrounding catchment.
How these thresholds were set. The five-class split follows the WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter (BRF) terrestrial methodology for the "Global Air Pollutant Emission" indicator; the per-pollutant break values are the WWF terrestrial thresholds (t/year), applied here to EDGARv8.1 2022 emissions aggregated to HydroBASINS Level 7. The exact derivation of these break values is set in the WWF BRF methodology and is not re-documented in Darwin's configuration.
Reference: WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter — riskfilter.org/biodiversity.
Source
Crippa, M. et al. (2024), EDGARv8.1 Global Air Pollutant Emissions (1970–2022), European Commission, Joint Research Centre (CC-BY). Catchment units after Lehner & Grill (2013), HydroSHEDS (CC-BY).
Comparison with the WWF Risk Filter Suite
This layer contributes to WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter indicator S13_4 Pollution, covering the air (non-greenhouse) emissions component. WWF references the same EDGAR source family. Darwin newly covers air non-greenhouse emissions; greenhouse-gas emissions remain outside the layer's scope.
Risk analysis
A site is flagged on a dimension by combining a proximity trigger (this layer) with an activity trigger (the entity's ENCORE pressure/service). Proximity only → Potentially material; proximity and the matching ENCORE pressure/service is material → Very material; neither → Not material.
| Dimension | ENCORE service / pressure | Proximity trigger (this layer) | Activity trigger (entity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Emissions of non-GHG air pollutants | Layer value above 4 | “Emissions of non-GHG air pollutants” pressure ≥ 4 |
Legend
Symbolised field: Air pollutant emissions risk
| Value (Air pollutant emissions risk) | Label | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very low | #ffffcc |
| 2 | Low | #d9f0a3 |
| 3 | Moderate | #fdae61 |
| 4 | High | #f46d43 |
| 5 | Very high | #d73027 |
Generated from darwin/layers/layer-air-pollutant-emission-global.toml and risk_indicator_pairs.toml (develop).