London, San Francisco and Beijing achieve ‘remarkable reductions’ in air pollution
Cycle lanes, electric cars and other interventions have helped 19 global cities slash levels of pollutants by more than 20%
TL;DR
- 19 global cities have reduced air pollutants by over 20% since 2010.
- Interventions like cycle lanes, electric cars, and vehicle restrictions contributed to the improvements.
- Beijing and Warsaw led in reducing PM2.5 by over 45%, while Amsterdam and Rotterdam cut NO2 by over 40%.
- San Francisco was the only US city to reduce both pollutants by over 20%.
- The report, covering cities in the C40 and Breathe Cities networks, demonstrates that substantial reductions are achievable through deliberate action.
- Air pollution, primarily from burning fossil fuels, poses significant health risks, including links to cognitive decline and dementia.
- There are no safe levels of PM2.5, and following WHO guidelines could save millions of lives annually.