Barcelona records improvements in air quality for the second year in a row

The 2024 figures from Barcelona's (Spain (ES)) air pollution monitoring network show an improvement in air quality for the second consecutive year. Specifically, nitrogen dioxide emissions continued to decline, reaching the lowest levels ever measured at the Gràcia and Sant Gervasi monitoring stations. The Eixample monitoring station, which typically records the highest pollution levels due to heavy road traffic, saw a reduction of nearly 6 %. Reports also indicate a 32 % reduction in the health impacts of pollution when comparing 2020 to 2023 levels.

The city council attributes this positive trend to increased public transport use and the implementation of Low Emission Zones (LEZs), which restrict more polluting vehicles from entering large parts of the city. Regarding the LEZs, Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet highlighted that improvements in air quality are not due to fewer cars on the roads but rather to the use of less polluting vehicles.

For the second consecutive year, the 2024 data confirm that Barcelona meets the European Union's pollution limits. However, additional efforts will be required to meet the new European standards set for 2030. These stricter limits halve the permissible nitrogen dioxide emissions to 20 µg/m³. Based on these upcoming standards, the aforementioned monitoring stations would fail to comply. Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet stated, “We need to accelerate the implementation of LEZs, and we will do so with a focus on the metropolitan area.”

Author: Claus Koellinger 

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.