The cities of Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City have agreed to ban diesel-powered vehicles by 2025 in an effort to reduce air pollution.
The announcement was made at the C40 summit, where 40 different cities are pledging to battle climate change. At this stage, the mayors of the four cities haven’t announced just how the ban will be phased in or when it will start taking effect.
The head of the United Nations’ climate and clean air coalition Helena Molin Valdés, while speaking at the summit, said: “Soot from diesel vehicles is among the big contributors to ill health and global warming.”
According to reports cited by The Guardian, 3 million people die prematurely every year because of dirty air partly affected by the harmful nitrogen dioxide produced by diesel vehicles.
According to the major of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis, this ban on diesel vehicles is just the first step in totally banning cars from cities. Mexico City mayor Miguel Angel Mancera thinks it will help his city boost its public transportation system.
