They deal with increasing criticism and sometimes they are even abolished, but low emission zones ultimately remain one of the green transport measures that politicians keep resorting to - to reduce emissions from road traffic, improve the quality of air and life for citizens and protect the environment as part of climate targets. This month, France, Denmark and Germany are also backing low-emission zones and driving bans. Green-Zones® lists the new rules for July.
France
France has nearly 40 low emission zones that regulate the movement of the most polluting vehicles. Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is now also considering this step and is building its first Green Zone. Initially in Clermont, the new rules will come into force on 1 July and regulate the traffic of vans, light and heavy trucks - i.e. vehicles of classes N1, N2, N3 - in the zone. At least a sticker 5 is required to be allowed to enter the zone and thus avoid fines. However, these will only be imposed from July 2024. For this first year of the low emission zone, only warnings are planned. The extension to Ferrand, on the other hand, is planned for January 2024 and stricter regulations are planned for 2027.
The city of Grenoble will also get a new low emission zone this month. This second, smaller low emission zone in the city centre will be located within the existing low emission zone (Grenoble ZPA) and will support it in reducing emissions. Vehicle owners will need at least a 4 sticker to enter the zone with their car or motor home. In addition to class M1 vehicles, class L vehicles are also affected by the driving ban - i.e. all motorised two-wheelers, three-wheelers and quads (four-wheelers). Tighter environmental zone regulations are planned around the year 2030. Then all vehicles with the French sticker 2 will no longer be allowed to drive.
Denmark
Denmark is also planning stricter rules on the roads in July. Although no new low-emission zones are currently being established here, the regulations for vans in the already active low-emission zones in Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen and Odense will be tightened. From 1 July, only N1 vehicles with Euronorm 6 or particle filters will be allowed to drive there. This requires manual registration for all vehicles registered before 1 September 2016. This will be done automatically for all vehicles registered after 1 September 2016.
Germany
Since 2008, an environmental zone has been active in Berlin - namely within the inner S-Bahn ring - in order to reduce pollutant emissions from traffic. In addition, there are other driving bans at times for the purpose of environmental protection and increasing road safety. For example, driving bans have been in effect on Wilmersdorfer Strasse in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Ackerstrasse in Mitte since 29 April 2023, completely prohibiting car traffic on the affected stretches. From July, Steinmetzstraße in Tempelhof-Schöneberg will now follow suit and initially impose a 24-hour driving ban for all vehicles until 31.10.2023. Whether this will be extended indefinitely or whether other districts will implement similar measures is still unknown.
Also not to be forgotten are all the low emission zones already active in France, Denmark, Germany and the rest of Europe. All information on this - as well as on vehicle registration for the Danish low emission zones - is, as always, available on our website and in the Green Zones app.