Dr Hans Bruyninckx
Executive Director, European Environment Agency
A vast majority of people living in European cities continue to be exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution, leaving many exposed to developing a number of health ailments that lead to premature death.
We are currently facing a number of challenges – including a rebound in transport, aviation and industry emissions after the COVID-19 lockdowns as well as the possible increased use of more polluting fuels like coal or wood due to the energy crisis and war in Ukraine. However, we cannot afford to lower our ambitions or slow down our efforts to cut air pollution.
Delayed action is very likely to result in higher social and health costs in the long run. Despite reductions in emissions over past years, most of the European Union’s urban population (96%) was exposed to levels of key air pollutants that are damaging to health.
Breaches of European air quality standards remain common across the EU, according to our most recent European Environment Agency analyses.
Cleaner air is possible
Progress in climate and environment efforts can result in concrete gains. For example, cleaner air helped save hundreds of thousands of lives in Europe. The implementation of EU, national and local policies and measures across Europe has led to reduction in emissions of all air pollutants, which in turn has led to a reduction of the population’s exposure to health impacts.
In 2019, air pollution continued to drive a significant burden of premature death and disease in Europe. In the EU, 307,000 premature deaths were linked to exposure to fine particulate matter in 2019, a decrease of 33% on 2005.
Delivering clean and safe air for Europe will require additional reductions in emissions by national and local authorities and linking clean air with economic recovery. We must also ensure the most vulnerable in society are not left behind.
In the EU, 307,000 premature deaths were linked to exposure to fine particulate matter in 2019, a decrease of 33% on 2005.
Reducing premature deaths
Under the European Green Deal’s Zero Pollution Action Plan, the European Commission set the 2030 goal of reducing the number of premature deaths caused by fine particulate matter by at least 55% compared with 2005 levels.
The Commission has also started a revision of the ambient air quality directives, aiming, among other things, to align the air quality standards more closely with WHO recommendations. In parallel, stricter requirements are also foreseen to tackle air pollution at source, such as pollution from agriculture, industry, transport, buildings and energy supply.
With such action we can make the threat posed by air pollution to our health a much lower one in the decades ahead.
