Cities that take coordinated action to improve air quality can significantly reduce harmful pollution, according to a new report released at an international environmental conference this week.
The report from Breathe Cities found that 19 cities across nine countries have cut levels of two major pollutants – fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – by between 20% and 45% over the past 15 years. Researchers say the findings show that rapid improvements in urban air quality are achievable with targeted policies and sustained leadership.
Air pollution remains the largest environmental health risk globally, contributing to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, childhood asthma and premature births. Lower-income communities are often the most affected because they tend to live in areas with higher pollution levels.
The study, released at the Better Air Quality Conference in Bangkok, examined air quality data from 2010 to 2024. It found that cities implementing coordinated strategies – such as cleaner transport, improved monitoring systems and restrictions on high-polluting fuels – achieved the most consistent reductions.
Among the cities highlighted were London, Paris, Warsaw and Brussels, all of which introduced major policies aimed at reducing emissions from vehicles and heating systems.
London implemented a city-wide ULEZ and has electrifyied around a quarter of the bus fleet, while upgrading the rest to stricter emissions standards. Paris expanded cycling lanes and introduced low-emission zones, alongside hundreds of school streets.
Warsaw tackled pollution by banning coal heating and offering financial support to residents to switch to cleaner fuels. Brussels focused heavily on mobility reforms, including expanded cycle infrastructure, pedestrianised city-centre areas and thousands of secure bicycle parking spaces.
Nearly half of the cities showing the largest improvements were located in Central and East Asia, suggesting that cleaner air can be achieved even in rapidly growing urban economies.
‘Substantial air quality improvement is achievable when cities take coordinated, data-driven action,’ said Cecilia Vaca Jones, executive director of Breathe Cities. She said the results demonstrate that meaningful reductions can be achieved within 10 to 15 years.
Alongside the report, officials in Bangkok announced new measures to tackle pollution locally. The city released an updated 2024 emissions inventory, which assesses pollution sources across the capital and surrounding provinces.
The data shows progress in some sectors, particularly manufacturing, where emissions of PM2.5 from industrial furnaces and boilers have fallen by around 19%.
The city also plans to develop a new digital mapping tool that will combine air quality data with socio-economic information across the city’s 50 districts. Officials say the system will help identify air pollution health hotspots and allow targeted action to protect vulnerable communities.
Pornphrom Vikitsreth, Advisor to Governor of Bangkok and Chief Sustainability Officer of Bangkok, said: ‘The new emissions inventory provides Bangkok with the evidence base we need to accelerate clean air action. The data shows we’re making progress, with reductions in transport, residential, and industrial emissions, but also where we must focus next. By identifying air quality-health hotspots through vulnerability mapping, we can ensure our interventions protect the communities most at risk. This is the data-driven approach that Breathe Cities’s global report shows works in leading cities worldwide.’
The full report can be read here.
Photo: Florian Wehde
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