Europe’s New Air Quality Law is a Breakthrough for Clean Air Globally
Dirty smoke billows from chimneys in Poland.

Europe is now poised to deliver cleaner, healthier air – thanks to adoption this week of the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) by the European Union. This marks a crucial victory for the health and wellbeing of millions across the EU and serves as a beacon for the clean air movement worldwide.

The AAQD underpins Europe’s air quality standards, and its revision is a significant breakthrough in addressing the public health crisis of air pollution. 

Each year, air pollution cuts short the lives of nearly 300,000 Europeans, contributing to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health conditions, according to the EU’s impact assessment report.

Improving air quality is a public health imperative. It’s also crucial for the environment and the economy, making the case for stronger EU-wide legislation even clearer.

A healthier future

The revised AAQD brings Europe’s air quality standards closer to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guidelines. It sets tougher, legally binding limits on harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), representing a doubling of ambition for these two major pollutants, in line with WHO’s interim targets. 

These pollutants have long been linked to severe health impacts that are particularly harmful for vulnerable groups, such as babies and young children and people with certain conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 

By delivering cleaner air, the AAQD could mean the difference between a lifetime of illness and a healthy future for future generations.

The AAQD also strengthens the monitoring and measuring provisions for air quality, introducing air quality roadmaps to support progress ahead of its 2030 deadline. The new rules bring about a fairer regime for people affected by air pollution as the rules for access to justice and compensation for those whose health have been impacted by dirty air have been improved.

Some of the most polluted regions within member states can delay meeting the new targets for up to 10 years (until 2040) under certain conditions. Although these derogations (or exceptions) provide more leeway than originally envisaged, the compromise, alongside strict conditions for delays, ensure that none of the 27 Member States are left behind. 

Significant impact if properly implemented

Overall, the Directive remains a significant win with ambitious targets and tightly regulated conditions for any delays. Importantly, the initially proposed ambition on limit values remained intact following the two-year legislative process, despite widespread pushback against legislation falling under the EU Green Deal, indicating the scale of this victory for clean air campaigners.   

One of the key reasons for the AAQD’s success is that it is both an environmental law and a critical public health intervention. By recognising that air quality is a matter of life and death, policymakers have acknowledged the need to protect the most vulnerable in our society. 

The impact of the new legislation in Europe will be significant if the AAQD is properly implemented. The new rules can prevent more than 55% of premature deaths linked to air pollution in the EU. That’s not just a number – that’s hundreds of thousands of people, each with families, who will live longer, healthier lives.

In addition to delivering significant health and environmental benefits, improving the air we breathe makes economic sense. Investing €6 billion annually in cleaner air will deliver up to €121 billion in benefits (according to the EU’s analysis). 

That’s equivalent to building hundreds of new hospitals or creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs in green industries. Echoing this analysis, the Brussels-based think tank, Bruegel, estimated that implementing clean air measures could boost economic growth by €50 to €60 billion every year[3] and save  approximately €600 billion each year in the European Union, the equivalent to 4% of GDP.

Ripple effect

The importance of the AAQD extends beyond the EU’s borders. By taking decisive action, the EU has positioned itself among the global leaders in air quality management, setting an example for other regions grappling with similar challenges. 

Air pollution is a global problem, responsible for eight million premature deaths annually worldwide, as reported in the British Medical Journal, and the EU’s solutions will, I hope, inspire other countries to pursue stronger actions.

Ongoing engagement and sustained political will are key to ensuring the success of these measures. The real test will come as member states move to transpose the Directive into law and work to implement these new standards. 

National and local governments will need to invest in cleaner technologies, green transport and clean heating while improving air quality monitoring and ensuring that enforcement is taken seriously.

Let’s celebrate this moment, but also remain focused on the work that still needs to be done. Air pollution is an invisible killer, shortening lives and ravaging our communities. With this new Directive, we are fighting back.

Jane Burston founded and leads the Clean Air Fund (CAF), a global philanthropic organisation working with governments, funders, businesses and campaigners to create a future where everyone breathes clean air. Before setting up CAF, Jane worked as head of Climate and Energy Science in the UK government. Prior to that, as head of Energy and Environment at the UK National Physical Laboratory, she managed a team of 150 scientists working in air quality, GHG measurement and renewable energy. 

 

Image Credits: Janusz Walczak/ Unsplash.

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