Lisbon was the latest European city to present a LEZ initiative in order to improve its air quality. Our Portuguese members, FPCUB and MUBi, welcome this measure and offer their collaboration to the Lisbon City Council to find solutions together. At ECF we believe that the bicycle should be an inseparable part of these low emission plans.

In the European Union there are more than 250 Low Emission Zones (LEZ). An increasing number of cities keeps presenting new projects to close their urban centers to polluting vehicles. Lisbon announced last week a new LEZ initiative in the central area of Baixa and Chiado. More than 4 hectares in the very heart of the Portuguese capital that will be mainly dedicated to active modes such as cycling and walking. This project joins a general trend in European cities but also keeps an eye on the 2021 Velo-city conference, held in Lisbon, which will be an excellent opportunity to show how livable a city becomes once car traffic is limited. However, now that we have many examples in Europe, can we say low-emission zones are effective?

To put it bluntly, yes. LEZs are saving lives all across Europe. Air pollution is responsible for 412,000 premature deaths in Europe each year, which is more than double all road deaths and serious injuries. Thanks to these programs, cities have cut NO2 emissions by up to 32% in the EU, improving the air quality and make it safer to breathe, according to a study of Transport & Environment. Low emission zones get to reduce toxic emissions of fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and (indirectly) ozone, the three main air pollutants of concern in Europe. These dangerous fine particulates enter our bodies through its defenses and cause damage to our hearts and lungs.

The strict regulation of pollutant vehicle mobility in the city centers has become one of the most effective measures that city councils can take to improve air pollution. And besides the success in areas where on air pollution levels are dangerous to health, LEZs are also opening the window to a necessary model shift that brings many other potential benefits.

Cycling, a natural ally of LEZ

Low Emissions Zones have proved that cities can and must play an important role in the transition to zero-emission mobility. Introducing bans and reducing space and accessibility for diesel and petrol cars are key measures to achieve climate neutrality goals. It is then essential to complement them with policies promoting a switch to clean alternatives, such as walking, cycling, and public transport.

Given that 75% of trips in the EU are shorter than 10 km, the potential of cycling to replace motorized vehicles is huge. Removing lanes for cars provide a great opportunity to reshape road schemes and dedicate more space to infrastructure for cycling. 

LEZs unlock far-reaching benefits such as better air quality, inclusive cities and a truly green future not based on fossil fuels. Each city is following its own standards, Milan, for example, has four variations of its low emission zone, and only in winter vehicles with a lower Euro standard were banned in the regional LEZ (Milano Province). Even so, the city has managed to reduce NO2 levels by 10% and incoming traffic of just over 30%.

The highest reduction of the NO2 concentration observed in 2019 was in the first months of ‘Madrid Central’, the Spanish capital’s LEZ. This dangerous pollutant was reduced by 32%. But meanwhile Madrid LEZ is very small, only 5 km², Berlin applied it almost to the whole city, achieving a 20% reduction in NO2 emissions. London is one of the cities that is most aware of the changes brought by LEZ, as its NO2 levels fell by a third in the area and the city almost tripled the amount of protected lanes for cycling.

Despite the first positive results, LEZ plans are limited. Policy makers should go further and transform these projects into zero-emission areas. We cannot plan a green future for Europe without zero-emission mobility, and active modes such as walking and cycling are the cleanest and healthiest alternatives to motorized transport.