Berlin, Germany, reported the Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing preliminary data from the Federal Environment Agency, that for the first time, all EU air quality limits for clean air have been met in Germany in 2024.
According to the agency, not a single air quality monitoring station reported exceedances of the nitrogen dioxide limits, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) already meeting the standards in 2018. Moreover, the ozone limits were also met across the country.
This marks the end, at least provisionally, of a long-standing conflict over polluted air in German cities. As of 2030, the EU will implement stricter air quality limits, which will still pose a challenge in the early years, the agency said. The head of the agency, Dirk Messner, praised every improvement in air quality as leading to a reduction in the health risk for the general population.