Air pollution is a serious problem that endangers the health of millions of people in the European Union. According to a new study by the European Environment Agency, almost 240,000 Europeans die every year as a result of particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in the air. These alarming figures show that air quality in Europe is far from the levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
The planned introduction of new driving bans for diesel cars with Euro 5 engines and petrol cars with Euro 2 engines has been postponed until January 2027. Thousands of vehicles would have been affected by the original plans. The postponement met with opposition from the green parties Ecolo, Groen and Défi, while the majority of parliament supported the postponement.
The introduction of low emission zones is a hotly debated topic in Sweden, especially the introduction of low emission zone 3, which excludes certain vehicles from certain parts of the city. In Gothenburg and Stockholm, political decision-makers have different views on how this low emission zone should be implemented. While Stockholm wants to include all vehicles in the low emission zone, Gothenburg has decided to exclude buses from this regulation.
The city of The Hague in the Netherlands has made a far-reaching decision: From January 1, 2025, all advertising for conventional combustion engine cars will be banned. This is intended to promote the switch to more environmentally friendly alternatives and set an example for climate protection.
Paris is a veritable jungle of low emission zones. With the introduction of the new traffic-calmed zone (ZTL) in the heart of the capital in October 2024, the list of restrictions for motorists will become even longer. There are already ZFE, ZPA and ZPA-Transit, which are intended to regulate traffic in the city. But who will be able to see through them?
The European elections have brought the issue of the combustion ban back into focus. Experts from various fields were asked by FOCUS online what they think about maintaining or lifting the planned ban in 2035. The experts' opinions are divided and it seems that the discussion about the future of vehicle propulsion is far from over.
The Swedish capital Stockholm has set itself an ambitious goal: From 2025, petrol and diesel cars are to be banned from the city centre. The EU Commission has given the green light for the introduction of a new low emission zone. But is the plan really feasible or just another symbolic political measure by the green-red coalition?
The Berlin Green Party recently presented a proposal to equalise the traffic congestion in the capital. The idea is to shift delivery and commercial traffic to the night-time hours. According to Antje Kapek, transport spokesperson for the Greens, this proposal should help to ensure that delivery vehicles, refuse collection, care services and doctors get stuck less in congested and parked-up streets during the day. Low-noise and low-emission lorries could increasingly drive into cities at night and on special routes.
On 22 March 2024, the German Federal Council gave its approval for the authorisation of climate-friendly pure diesel fuels. The beacon of hope of this new era is HVO100, short for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. This fuel, which is produced from the conversion of vegetable oils or recyclable waste materials, is to be available at German filling stations from 13 April 2024.
The sight of huge, powerful lorries on Europe's motorways could soon become a reality. The European Parliament recently passed a measure that could make it possible to allow so-called "mega trucks" on the roads of EU countries. But what does this mean for the climate? Can these giants really reduce emissions from freight transport?
