Existing air quality rules in Europe allow for health-harming levels of air pollution compared to the science-based guidelines of the World Health Organization.
EU governments have voted on their position on the revised EU Ambient Air Quality Directive and are currently negotiating the final agreement with the European Parliament.
The revision of the Directive is a once in a generation opportunity to protect our children and the environment from air pollution, and contribute to tackling climate change.
Air pollution is the number one biggest environmental health risk to Europeans today.
Children, the elderly and the vulnerable are most exposed to the risks of air pollution, with almost 300,000 premature deaths in the EU every year.
For children, air pollution can damage the development of lungs and organs, as well as weaken their immune system. Research shows that children’s cognitive development may also be negatively impacted by air pollution.
Air pollution also increases the risk of respiratory infections, reduces lung function and can cause allergies.
Not only does it lead to poorer health outcomes, but air pollution poses an existential threat to the human race due to its links with antibiotic resistance. A study published in Lancet showed that in over 100 countries across two decades there was a correlation between rising air pollution and worsening antibiotic resistance.
The transport, agriculture, industry and energy sectors, and private households (wood burning) all contribute to polluting the air we breathe.
This contributes to dangerously high levels of particulate matter (PM). PM is the most hazardous family of pollutants within the EU. In 2020 alone, PM resulted in 238,000 premature deaths across the EU.
Fossil fuel burning cars lead to significant concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NO₂), responsible for 49,000 premature deaths across the EU in 2020.
