CITIES CALL FOR A STRONGER TARGET ON AIR QUALITY

28. 06. 2016

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For immediate release
28/06/2016, Brussels
 
CITIES CALL FOR A STRONGER TARGET ON AIR QUALITY
 
The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), supported by many cycling cities like Milan, Reggio Emilia and Ferrara in Italy, Madrid and El Prat in Spain, are pleading for an ambitious new European Directive for air quality (NEC). These cities already signed a letter put forward by ECF whose aims is convincing their respective National Ministers not to undermine the efforts made so far to improve air quality. In order to secure the health of millions of citizens, the emissions ceilings proposed in the NEC directive should not be weakened.
Mayors of Cities for Cyclists members - Vienna, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Athens - already publicly expressed their support for air quality by signing this petition on vehicle emissions. Other capital cities like London, Madrid and Paris followed, especially knowing that the main way to tackle air pollution is to set up a global strategy on urban mobility.
 
On Monday 27th June the mayor of Paris, organises an international conference for cities and metropolitan areas on the issue of air quality, called Cities for Air. The French Environment Minister, along with more than 10 international delegations from Mexico, Ljubljana and Athens, as long as representatives from London, Tokyo, Beijing, Lisbon, Montreal and Amsterdam have confirmed their attendance.
 
What is at stake when dealing with air quality?
Today, the share of Europe’s population living in urban areas is about to reach 80% and global greenhouse gas emissions originate from cities represents 70%. Why should we worry about the lack of political commitment to reduce air pollution and work actively for better air quality?
 
As cyclists, we definitely understand the necessity of improving air quality in general, and especially in urban areas. But it is clear that all citizens are affected at the same level, even more depending on the transport mode they use. The day-to-day life of European urban citizens is punctuated by peaks in pollution levels.
 
The correlation between air pollution and health problems have been proven. Nevertheless the European Union is now negotiating an update of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (known as NEC directive) where Member States threaten to weaken the proposal. The outcome of those discussions will set new limits on maximum air pollution levels in Member States by 2030. Only few months after COP21 and the theoretical commitment to reduce the level of pollution in our towns and cities, such a decision shouldn’t end with lower ceilings.
 
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has found that vehicles emissions are responsible for 75 000 premature deaths in Europe every year. This is the reason why we need ambitious and bold European regulations.
 
In 2015, ECF published a report on Air quality and cycling of which the main conclusion is that bolder the measures taken by the authorities, the better the results for air quality. Why can this report reassure us on this important issue? Because it proved that even with the smallest improvement in air quality, the health benefits for citizens kick off immediately.
 
Therefore, we see no reason for national governments to undermine the targets in improving air quality. We are talking about the air we all breathe, we are talking about a major public health issue.
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