Controlling Mercury Pollution in China and India
How the Minamata Convention on Mercury could affect emissions from coal power plants
90oN
60oN
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2.1 µg/m2/y (4.6%)
0.5 µg/m2/y (6.0%)
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0.8 µg/m2/y (3.8%)
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13.4 µg/m2/y (42%)
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26
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65 ∆ µg/m2/y
Figure: Avoided 2050 mercury deposition from adopting moderate pollution control technology. Numbers indicate average avoided
deposition for select regions, and the percent of present-day deposition this corresponds with.
Key Findings
Pollution control technologies
have big benefits.
Technologies that India and China
would likely adopt if given flexibility
avoid about 12 percent of present‑day
emissions. Requiring stronger but
technologically feasible pollution
control methods avoids another 8
percent—an amount equivalent to
India’s total present-day emissions.
An energy-systems approach
has even bigger benefits.
A global transition away from coal
would be even more beneficial for
mercury pollution. Even assuming that
no new pollution control technologies
are adopted, transitioning away from
coal avoids 6 and 36 percent more
mercury emissions in China and India,
respectively, than strong technology
standards with heavy coal use.
Reducing emissions lowers
domestic pollution.
While mercury emissions contribute
to global mercury pollution, emissions
from coal power plants are also
deposited as local pollution. As a
result, the benefits from reduced
mercury emissions will be felt most
strongly in the countries making
the reductions, in addition to at the
global level.
What is the Minamata Convention?
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, adopted by the UN in 2013, aims to reduce
global mercury pollution and protect human health by setting limits on specific
pollution sources and prohibiting new mercury mining. Some specifics of the treaty
requirements are still being determined. For instance, the convention gives nations the
flexibility to create their own plans for reducing mercury emissions from some sources,
like coal-fired power plants. How nations choose to address these emissions will impact
global and regional mercury pollution, since coal-fired power plants are responsible for
about a quarter of mercury emissions worldwide.
Why are India and China important?
China is currently estimated to emit about a third of global emissions, and India is the
second largest source at 7 percent. These emissions come from a variety of activities—
mining, cement production, metal smelting—but coal combustion for industry and
electricity generation is one of the biggest sources in these countries, and this source is
expected to grow as economies develop.
Study Methodology
Researchers evaluated different methods of reducing mercury emissions from coal‑fired
power plants, and how emissions travel through the atmosphere and enter ecosystems.
Through analysis of existing studies, policies, and interviews with Convention
negotiators, researchers identified technologies that India and China would likely adopt
if given flexibility. They also studied the effect of stronger technology requirements and
an energy system shift away from coal toward low‑carbon energy sources.
More information:
MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change
 @MITGlobalChange
 MITGlobalChange
http://globalchange.mit.edu
The Selin Group at MIT
http://mit.edu/selingroup
This research was supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Study: Giang, A., L.C. Stokes, D.G. Streets, E.S. Corbitt and N.E. Selin, 2015: Impacts of the Minamata Convention on mercury
emissions and global deposition from coal‑fired power generation in Asia. Environmental Science & Technology. (Joint Program
Reprint 2015-6: http://globalchange.mit.edu/research/publications/2898)