Sound environment as a global issue-perspectives on global noise policy

Paper in proceeding, 2011

Under the leadership of Professor Fritz Ingerslev, INCE and the INTER-NOISE congresses were internationalized in 1974. Since then both I-INCE and the congresses have evolved to become the world’s leading sources of technology solutions in the expanding field of noise control engineering with more than 15,000 papers in the congress series and more than 1,000 articles published in Noise Control Engineering Journal. This year we celebrate the 40th INTER-NOISE congress. The roles of noise immission effects and noise emission control have now been clarified. Both approaches to the problem of excessive noise have merit and can be most effective when used together. Of the major economic powers, Japan has had the most notable success in combining noise immission guidelines with noise emission regulatory requirements. The International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) initiated a noise policy project in 2007. The principal objective of the project is to assist the world’s policymakers in improving national and international requirements in noise policies. Emphasis is placed on the need for substantial reductions in the noise emissions of the world’s dominant noise sources. The CAETS project provides independent information about the technological options and barriers to balance the lobbying from industry. In three CAETS fora (in 2008, 2009, and 2010) the existing technology for quieter sources has been assessed. Efforts to inform policymakers are currently underway in Australia, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the European Union, and the USA. The CAETS project is closely linked to and strongly supported by I-INCE.