Glasgow's Low Emission Zone Cut Nitrogen Dioxide by 34% Inside Its Boundary

Friends of the Earth Scotland has campaigned for years for low emission zones that keep the most polluting vehicles out of the most polluted streets, and it called the launch of Glasgow's zone a big win. Glasgow's council report for 2024, the first with a full year of data after enforcement, found nitrogen dioxide inside the zone 34 percent lower than in 2022, the last full year before enforcement. The city's automatic monitoring stations met all air quality objectives for the third year running, and all its diffusion tubes were within the annual NO2 limit for the first time since monitoring began. A University of Glasgow study also linked traffic reductions on High Street to weekday NO2 falls of 25 to 27 percent, though both the council and researchers note other factors such as bus subsidies play a part. Zones in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee were set for enforcement from June 2024.