London, San Francisco and Beijing achieved “remarkable reductions” in air pollution

Cycle lanes, electric vehicles and other measures have helped 19 cities around the world cut levels of PM2.5 and NO₂ pollution by more than 20%.

London, San Francisco and Beijing are among 19 global cities that have achieved “remarkable reductions” in air pollution, according to a new analysis. Since 2010, these cities have reduced levels of two major air pollutants that aggravate the respiratory system by more than 20%.

The analysis found that improvements were driven by measures such as expanding cycling infrastructure, increasing the uptake of electric vehicles and restricting the use of highly polluting vehicles.

Beijing and Warsaw topped the ranking for reducing fine particulate matter (PM2.5), cutting concentrations by more than 45%. Amsterdam and Rotterdam recorded the greatest reductions in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), with levels falling by more than 40%.

China Leads the Way

According to the analysis of nearly 100 cities worldwide, San Francisco was the only U.S. city to reduce levels of both pollutants by more than 20%. Nine of the 19 cities identified are located in China and Hong Kong, while the remainder are in Europe.

“This report shows that cities can achieve what was once thought impossible: reducing toxic air pollution by 20–45% in just over a decade,” said Cecilia Vaca Jones, Executive Director of Breathe Cities, one of the organizations behind the report.

“This isn’t happening in just one part of the world. From Warsaw to Bangkok, cities are proving that we already have the tools needed to address this crisis.”

Burning fossil fuels releases toxic gases and harmful particles that rank among the greatest threats to human health. The smallest particles can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, damaging organs ranging from the brain to the reproductive system. Nitrogen dioxide also harms the respiratory tract and reacts with water to form acid rain.

Beijing and other Chinese cities are leaving us behind when it comes to environmental performance

Fewer Cars, Less Coal

The report highlights examples of measures that have helped improve air quality, including China’s rapid transition from combustion-engine vehicles to electric cars, the expansion of cycling infrastructure in densely populated European cities, London’s restrictions on highly polluting vehicles, and Warsaw’s move away from coal- and wood-based home heating. However, it did not investigate the precise causal chain needed to distinguish the impact of local measures from that of national policies.

“Air pollution is often presented as a problem that is too difficult to solve and politically unpopular,” said Dr Gary Fuller, an air pollution expert at Imperial College London who was not involved in the report. “This report shows that bold policies can improve the air we breathe.”

From Cradle to Grave: The Air We Breathe

Last year, another report found that nearly every country on Earth has dirtier air than doctors recommend. According to IQAir, a Swiss air-quality monitoring technology company, only seven countries met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limits for PM2.5 particles in 2024.

There is essentially no completely safe level of PM2.5 exposure, but health experts estimate that adhering to WHO guidelines could save millions of lives each year. According to Gary Fuller, breathing polluted air affects human health at every stage of life—from low birth weight and childhood asthma to cancer and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

“Over the last decade, we have also learned that air pollution is linked to cognitive decline and dementia in old age,” he added. “All of these illnesses place an enormous burden on families, weaken economies—as people miss work due to illness or care for others—and impose direct costs on healthcare systems. Yet all of these conditions are preventable.”

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