health
March 12, 2026
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.
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