by Walther Ploos van Amstel
In a new paper, Cedric D. Koolen and Prof. Dr. Gadi Rothenberg outline the serious problems caused by air pollution in Europe. Using two types of metrics, level assessment, and trend assessment, they quantify the contribution of ammonia, NOx, SOx, non‐methane volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter in terms of years of life lost per capita …
Many European countries are failing to comply with international and European standards on air quality. Moreover, many governments have failed to take effective action to improve air quality and hence to protect their citizens’ health.
Exposure to environmental pollution is thought to cause as many as 9 million premature deaths each year. The largest health impacts are associated with air pollutants and particulate matter in particular. The latter is thought to cause an average reduction in life expectancy of 6 to 12 months in Europe.
To date, the impact of city logistics on improving air quality within urban areas has been limited. While the emphasis on adopting clean vehicles is beneficial for air quality, it is essential to address the creation of economically viable, important, and health-promoting city centers and neighborhoods in formulating urban freight policies. The central focus should …