Opus RSE conference shows the way towards cleaner air in our cities

Opus Remote Sensing Europe (RSE) showed strong evidence that measuring on road driving emissions can help stop emission cheating – and reduce air pollution in our cities – in a special conference in Madrid.

The conference, held on June 28, presented results from the first year of a remote sensing project run by Opus RSE in Madrid, which has so far tested 500,000 vehicles. It shows that many vehicle models are emitting pollutants at a higher level than their type approval limit and identifies high-emitting vehicles that could make a big difference to air pollution if they were taken off the road.

Detecting emission cheating vehicles

The conference also heard how Opus RSE remote sensing devices helped the Guardia Civil in Spain detect that up to 15 percent of all Euro 5 trucks are using defeat devices to cheat emission standards. Stopping these cheats could also have a big impact on air quality.

Organized by Opus RSE, the conference on the ‘Potential of Remote Sensing’ was part of the EU-funded LIFE GySTRA project, which aims to achieve a more sustainable transport policy based on evidence from road traffic emissions. It attracted government representatives, industry experts, research bodies and inspection business from across Europe.

Expert speakers share remote sensing experience

Speakers included representatives from the European Commission, the German Umwelt Bundesamt (Federal Environment Agency), the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), and environmental consultancy NEQ, who presented on experiences using remote sensing in Denmark.

“This was a great chance to meet with the remote sensing community, raise awareness, and push the need for on-road testing up the agenda,” said Javier Buhigas, Opus RSE Head of Technical Consultancy. “It was a great success. We’ve received excellent feedback on the quality of the presentations. The general comment of the attendees was that real driving emissions should be monitored in all European cities, as is currently being done in Madrid."

An Opus remote sensing device placed outside the conference allowed people to see the technology in action, while a digital link-up showed live results from another Opus RSE remote sensing project in Krakow, Poland.