The European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) came into force in 1996. In 2010, the EU Parliament approves the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) that abrogates the IPPC directive. This directive lays down measures designed to regulate emissions arising from the activities of large European industries which recorded a constant decrease from 1990 to 2011. This trend refers especially to SOx/SO2 partly because of some technical changes such as the use of natural gas in the 1990s instead of coal and lignite. We can state that the 2008-2009 crisis is the most serious, affecting not only production but also other key economic sectors such as energy consumption. The aim of this work is to discuss relevant topics such as the current situation of industrial emissions in Europe and the trend of the industrial emissions since the promulgation of the directive. We also discuss the directive's main application tools which are the best available techniques reference documents and the best available techniques that show some weakness. For instance, the "concentration approach" for measuring emissions does not comply with the environment and health problems, because it sets no limit to the production. We absolutely need to improve above mentioned tools if we want to reduce the emission of pollutants to acceptable levels, in spite of the European financial condition. The IPPC aimed at accelerating the reduction trend of the industrial emissions especially between 2000 and 2011. In conclusion, we still haven't found evidences of significant results of its implementation as the emissions behaviour is also strongly influenced by the economy. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

The aim of the paper is to offer a systemic overview about some critical and interdependent relations among carbon offset, carbon sequestration and carbon stock. Rooting in the complexity perspective, the work discusses some relevant measurement methods and financial issues related to the Land Use - Land Use Change Forestry (LULUCF) applied under Kyoto Protocol rules. The carbon sinks could contribute to the sequestration of carbon with long-rotation periods of forest. There are uncertainties on the estimation on carbon flux due to the application of various models of estimates, because the capacity of carbon stock is determined by several technical and financial variables. The main tool for the CO2 emissions’ mitigation is carbon offset that may represent a cost-effective solution. Here we show that there is not yet a precise correlation between forest projects and Kyoto Protocol goal. The study furthermore focuses on the credits of forestry projects, that could be sold or purchased on the carbon market. Eventually, we also consider the ethical and political problems connected with the use biomass ITPs (Industrial Tree Plantations). In conclusion, the work shed light underlines the complex side of decision processes in framing and selecting models to estimate the carbon balance under Kyoto Protocol target. The opportunity of investment in forest projects depends on the cost management of the projects themselves, and the price between wood market and unit carbon

This paper critically analyses the International policy on climate change, the role of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the GHG emissions, particularly CO 2 . Also the commitment of the different countries to reduce or limit these emissions, the development of carbon sinks and the flexible mechanisms that uses credit trading between countries members. The work also highlights the brightest aspects of the Protocol and reviews those critical issues that require modifications or whose application must be limited: the USA refusal to sign a joint commitment to reduce GHG, the status of major non-Annex I emitters (China, India, others) and the promotion of clean alternatives energy, with minimal environmental damage. About this last point, we particularly emphasised the issues of biomass and Kraft Black Liquor burning. In this context, it is inevitable to debate the overall environmental risks of Kraft Pulp Mills emissions and the forest exploitation involved.