Low-emission zones hit the mainstream as Warsaw takes a big step towards clean air
June 24, 2024
New analysis shows that LEZs are an essential way to improve urban life in European cities.
- Warsaw to adopt a low-emission zone on 1 July
- Poland has the worst air quality of any country in the EU [1]
- Mayor of London reelected to historic third term after expanding low-emission zone across London
- Diesel car sales have fallen to just 13% of the market, down from more than 50% of new cars sales before dieselgate [2]
- New analysis on LEZs shows significant benefits across climate, congestion, health and economy
As Poland’s first low-emission zone is being launched in Warsaw on 1 July, new analysis published by the Clean Cities Campaign shows that LEZs are an essential way to improve urban life in European cities.
The research also shows that LEZs have a wide variety of proven benefits, including incentivising clean transport, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, tackling congestion and noise pollution, and even increasing retail sales [3].
The implementation of LEZs must be carefully planned using best practice examples from across Europe, which Clean Cities compiled in the analysis, to ensure a fast and fair transition to zero-emission urban mobility. The Clean Cities Campaign has identified successful strategies for implementing LEZs locally.
More than 300 LEZs are in place today, and there will be more than 500 in operation by 2025. The research picks five cities that are ‘best in class’: Amsterdam, Stockholm, Brussels, Ghent and London.
“The evidence is clear: well-designed low-emission zones deliver huge benefits, contributing to more livable and cleaner cities. Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski agrees that LEZs are the most effective way to clean our streets and protect our health.”
“It’s taken years of campaigning on the low-emission zone in Warsaw by a diverse set of transport, parents and patients groups to get to this point. City leaders have finally accepted the inevitable and deserve our congratulations. This is a big first step to finally clean our air in one of Europe’s most polluted cities.”
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Notes to editors:
[1] Warsaw is among the 20 most polluted cities in Europe, according to research by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), one of Clean Cities’ partner organisations. See https://isglobalranking.org/city/warsaw/#air
[2] https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.acea.auto/pc-registrations/new-car-registrations-13-7-in-april-2024-battery-electric-11-9-market-share/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1718360063464790&usg=AOvVaw2jIxmZOjkLhnV3z-y3uhjC
[3] Page 6, https://cleancitiescampaign.org/research-list/lez-essential-guide/
To request an interview, please contact: Daniel Hale, Head of Media, Clean Cities Campaign, daniel.hale@cleancitiescampaign.org , +44 7974 332329
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