Air quality

A new evaluation of the EU’s National Emission Reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive shows that the clean air policies are delivering significant results, but several Member States remain off track to meet their 2030 targets.

Italy’s highest court has confirmed that the City of Rome must compensate residents living near the busy Tangenziale Est motorway for years of excessive noise and air pollution.

More than 180,000 deaths in the EU in 2023 were attributable to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) l

The concentrations of air pollutants are generally falling in Europe.

The European Union has now adopted the Ambient Air Quality Directive, which is a move closer to the WHO standards. Though some steps remain before it is fully aligned.

Ammonia contributes to 50% of fine particulate matter in Europe. But it also has independent health effects, such as an association with early-onset asthma in children under six.

The EU Commission has sent formal notice under Article 260 TFEU to Hungary for failing to comply with a 2021 judgement on PM10 exceedances ...

Taiwan is tightening its standards for PM2.5. The Ministry of Environment in Taiwan will adjust its PM2.5 target from 15 to 12 micrograms per cubic metre. The change is based on the findings of an eight-year study ...

The European Parliament approved a deal on the revised Euro 7 emissions rules for cars, trucks, and buses in March. However, the decision remains controversial, with stakeholders divided on whether it goes too far or not far enough in combating emissions.

A recent German study found that children who spent their time in the womb and their first year of life in low emission zones experienced a 13% reduction in asthma medication prescriptions by their fifth birthday.

In the recent Global Burden of Disease, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8% of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure and smoking.

On 11 April 2024, the Our Common Air Commission launched a call for global financial institutions to invest in clean air programmes. Our Common Air is a global commission of high-level government figures, renowned health experts ...

A new review sheds light on the effectiveness of policies across the globe in reducing traffic emissions.

South Africa’s state-owned power company, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, operates 15 coal-fired power stations. Most of them are located ...

A recent study in Brussels, which followed more than 400,000 residents, looked at air pollution exposure and the risk of dying in a cardiovascular or respiratory diseases.

Particles are present in all the air we breathe, in different sizes, shapes and compositions, and can contribute to disease or ultimately death.