German cities to remove low-emissions zones – the air has gotten better

In some municipalities, low-emissions zones have been in force for the past 14 years

Several local authorities in the German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg plan to remove some of their low emissions zones in 2023 because air quality has gotten better. These include Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, Schwäbisch-Gmünd (Ostalbkreis) and Wendlingen (Esslingen district) and Balingen (Zollernalbkreis). In some, the zones have been a part of the urban environment for 14 years.

Usually, these zones are aimed at limiting pollution generated from traffic in certain, often busy, urban regions. Some of them ban more polluting vehicles from entering the area, while others set a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour, as low speeds result in fewer emissions.  

Local leaders argue that the zones have already served their purpose and that keeping them around would be redundant. CO2 and nitrogen monoxide levels are already down, while most polluting vehicles are already off the road, replaced with more efficient modern counterparts.

The only thing the zones would do is keep a negligible amount of visitors by car from other countries or rural areas. However, the decision has drawn criticism and opposition from German environmental organisations.

Support from Baden-Württemberg regional authorities

The EU Commission is planning to tighten the limit on what is considered acceptable levels of carbon and nitrogen monoxide pollution, so lifting the zones could create more problems for local authorities.

According to a proposal by the EU Commission, the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) should be 20 micrograms per cubic metre of air starting in 2030. This would be nearly half the current 40 micrograms.

Nevertheless, the move also has the support of Baden-Württemberg’s regional authorities, as the SWR reported. A spokeswoman for the Federal State’s Ministry of Transport said that the zones were not necessary for limiting pollution.

Additionally, she explained that cars registered before 2006 were the real problem with pollution and that by 2030 most of them would be off the road anyway.

The opposition

The non-profit Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe), an environmental protection advocacy group with a nearly 50-year history has decided to oppose the decision. Managing Director Jürgen Resch was recently quoted by the DPA explaining that the organisation will examine all ways to prevent Baden-Württemberg from lifting the low-emissions zones. It also sends a very bad message.

Furthermore, road transport is the largest source of air pollution in cities, according to the European Environmental Agency. The official estimates of the EEA put the death toll for chronic exposure to particulate matter in the EU for 2020 at 240,000 people. Around 28,900 of those deaths happened in Germany.