environmental Archives - Iran News Daily

Iran-Europe seek increased environmental coop.

reporter 1222 — Mon, 21 May 2018 09:30:13 +0000

The chief of Iran’s Department of Environment Isa Kalantari and EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete hold a meeting on Monday about environmental challenges.

Touching on the long history of relations between Iran and Europe, Kalantari hoped that European countries could retain their independence against the United States in this stage.

Referring to status of Paris Agreement in Iran, he said, “the legal procedures for ratification of Iran’s joining to the agreement are under way.”

Despite the complex and difficult environmental conditions of the country, including significant drop in rainfall, rise of temperature, significant drying of wetlands and the imposition of unfair sanctions, the administration continues to make major contributions to maintain and promote the environment, he added.

“For instance, we have managed to control the drying process of Lake Urmia and even stabilize the lake,” he highlighted.

Coping with dust storms, reviving wetlands, waste management and improving the air quality in urban areas are four priority of the administration regarding the environment, Iran’s chief of environment said, adding, “the European Union can also cooperate with Iran through transfer of knowledge, new technologies and funding.”

The use of clean and renewable energies, prevention and control of coastal pollution in the Persian Gulf, optimization of energy consumption, development of the public transportation networks, automobile production and proper waste management are among other areas that Iran and Europe can boost their cooperation, Kalantari stated.

He also suggested the establishment of a committee comprising Iran’s Department of Environment and European Commissions for Environment and Climate Action to take important steps to address the environmental challenges of Iran.

Miguel Arias Cañete, for his part, emphasized that EU sticks to all its commitments to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Touching on the US withdrawal from Paris agreement, he added that the United States’ refusal to pay its $2 billion contribution has caused difficulties in enforcing the agreement and European countries are trying to address this problem.

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Tehran, Sofia eye increased environmental co-op

reporter 1222 — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 10:45:57 +0000

TEHRAN – Iranian and Bulgarian officials held in meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, discussing ways to boost bilateral cooperation on environmental issues.

The Bulgarian ambassador to Iran Christo Polendakov and the Iranian deputy environment chief for international affairs Nasser Moqaddasi exchanged views on greenhouse gas emissions, water-related technologies, deforestation, and climate change, among others, IRNA reported.

They also touched on the main topics of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 24) which is expected to be held on December 3-14, 2018 in Katowice, Poland.

The ambassador expressed European Union’s readiness to boost environmental cooperation with Iran.

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Iran’s environmental body asserts its right to green tax

reporter 1222 — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 07:00:08 +0000

TEHRAN — Once again Iran’s environmental body has demanded its right to the green tax imposed on polluting industries and allocated to municipalities.

“Every year some 100 trillion rials (nearly $2.2 billion) in green tax is collected which is distributed among the municipalities and none is laid out on environmental schemes,” an official with the Department of Environment (DOE) said on Tuesday.

Shina Ansari has explained that the green tax levied on polluting industries over the previous Iranian calendar year (March 2016-March 2017) amounted to some 130 trillion rials (nearly $2.8 billion) but it was not spent on environmental projects.

DOE is only in charge of identifying polluting industries and is not concerned with the green tax expenditure, Tasnim news agency quoted Ansari as saying.

However, she continued, “we have suggested to spend the substantial sum on environmental affairs of the municipalities and even provide incentives for polluting industries [to become more eco-friendly].”

Mere collection of green taxes and not spending them for an environmental cause is absurd; the law makers have adopted the green tax law in order to mitigate and reduce air pollution, she added.

Green tax, also known as ecological taxation, is imposed in activities which are proved to be harmful to the environment and as its name suggests must be spent on environmentally friendly activities.

The green tax law must act as a deterrent but the mechanisms must be reconsidered, Ansari noted, adding, the money must be spent on environmental affairs, “we do not intend to fight industrial development, we mean to reduce air pollution.”

The green tax law went into force in 2008 and had the municipalities spent the money on the fight against environmental challenges ever since there would be a dramatic transformation in waste management, public transport, waste water treatment, etc., she regretted.

sfahan has highest number of polluting industries

Ansari went on to say that with 916 polluting industries surrounding the central province of Isfahan the region has the highest number of industrial units fouling their environment.

Provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Khorasan Razavi hold the next places with 450, 240, and 200 polluting industries located in suburban areas respectively, she said.

Air pollution, a disaster of epic proportions

Air pollution is a challenge many cities worldwide are suffering and Iran is no exception. Metropolises of Tehran, Alborz, Tabriz, etc. are enveloped with the choking smog most weekdays and sand and dust storms in southwestern Iran has added fuel to the flames.

The solutions are very much obvious; of course they are clearly hard to implement and it may not be possible to reverse some of the damages inflicted upon the environment but better lose the saddle than the horse.

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Iran Fulfilling Environmental Commitments

reporter 1222 — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 04:10:48 +0000

TEHRAN – Iran is resolved to meet its commitments on environment protection, including protecting the ozone layer, the head of Iran’s Department of Environment said.

‘Iran has never ignored its international commitments,’ Isa Kalantari said at a ceremony held in the Iranian capital, Tehran to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer and World Ozone Layer Day.

‘The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to complete phasing out the HCFCs,’ he said, referring to efforts by Iran to eliminate using hydrochlorofluorocarbons.

The Montreal Protocol is among the most successful international projects and Iran has fulfilled its commitments pertaining to the project, the head of Iran’s Department of Environment stressed.

He further hoped that the achievements made by Iran in protecting the ozone would be a turning point for the country to implement its related national plans.

International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer was celebrated in the Iranian capital on Sunday at the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol and the 32nd anniversary of Vienna Convention.

The ceremony was also attended by officials the United Nations (UN) officials.

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