The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently updated its recommended limits for fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, marking the first time in 15 years that the organization has made such changes. The new limits are much lower than expected and have been described as ambitious by experts in the field. The updated guidelines were based on large-scale, long-term studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants, including regions with low levels of pollution. The studies confirmed that there are no “safe thresholds” for air pollution, even at concentrations below previous guidelines.
While the WHO’s limits are only recommendations without legal binding, the European Union (EU) has decided to align its standards with the WHO’s guidelines when they are updated. This means that the new limits are likely to be adopted in Germany, where at least 400 municipalities currently exceed the new nitrogen oxide limits. This could result in many cities being forced to ban the use of combustion engine vehicles in their city centers to comply with the new regulations. The Deutsche Umwelthilfe e. V. (DUH) has called the WHO’s new limits a “stinging rebuke” to the German government and has urged for immediate action to be taken to reduce pollution levels.
Jürgen Resch, the Federal Managing Director of DUH, has called for a significant shift in mobility practices, including halving the number of cars on the road and doubling the number of bike lanes. He has also called for the banning of wood stoves without filters and for the ecological restructuring of mass animal farming to reduce ammonia and fine particulate matter. These measures, he argues, are necessary to prevent illness, suffering, and tens of thousands of premature deaths caused by air pollution. The DUH has pledged to support this process and ensure that clean air is secured for Germany.
