Nitrogen dioxide levels down in 2017, many cities still exceed limits - UBA

Seventy German municipalities exceeded nitrogen oxide air pollution limits in 2017, down from 90 the previous year, writes the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). This development points in “the right direction,” said UBA President Maria Krautzberger, “but we’re nowhere near our goal.” The main reason for high NO₂ levels was diesel car emissions, writes the UBA. The agency says that the decreasing levels indicated that measures initiated because of the diesel emissions fraud scandal were taking effect, such as speed limits and software upgrades for diesel cars. However, Krautzberger argued that hardware engine retrofitting of diesel vehicles was “the only way to alleviate health problems caused by nitrogen oxides in a fast and lasting manner.”

Find the press release in German here.

Find background on the diesel technology’s impact on clean air and climate in the CLEW article Why the German diesel summit matters for climate and energy.