“Air quality in German cities is as high as the air quality in rural areas 20 years ago. We reduced carbon monoxide (CO) by 90 per cent, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by 90 per cent, benzene by more than 95 per cent, nitrogen oxides by 90 per cent and particulate matter by 70 per cent. This means we achieved a massive reduction of air pollution in Germany.” says Dr.-Ing. Axel Friedrich (Technical Chemist from the Technical University of Berlin), who contributed an interview to the publication “Clean Air – Made in Germany”.
Published by the German Partnership for Sustainable Mobility (GPSM) “Clean Air – Made in Germany” informs about stakeholders, legal initiatives and measures which contribute to the high level of air quality in Germany. As traffic is a main contributor to air pollution, special emphasis is given to what can be done to reduce pollutant emissions from the transport sector.
Chapter 1 informs about legal framework conditions for clean air in Germany, which to a large extent derive from European Union legislation. Chapter 2 describes how air pollution in Germany is tackled from a planning perspective. Chapter 3 shows exemplary measures and initiatives taken by municipalities, companies and environmental associations to reduce pollutant emissions from the transport sector. Chapter 4 outlines technologic options for reducing emissions. Chapter 5 covers selected examples of international cooperation for clean air, including the Sino-German Cooperation Project on Electro-Mobility and Climate Protection.
The German Partnership for Sustainable Mobility is an initiative by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). As a platform for exchanging knowledge, expertise and experiences, GPSM supports the transformation towards sustainability in developing and emerging countries. It serves as a network of information from academia, businesses, civil society and associations.
The publication “Clean Air – Made in Germany” can be downloaded here:
