Start a clean air revolution!

On December 2nd, Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens pledged to remove diesel vehicles from their roads by 2025. This unprecedented action will have a lasting impact on improving air quality and protecting the health of residents. 

The mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens say they are implementing the ban to improve air quality.

They say they will give incentives for alternative vehicle use and promote walking and cycling.

The commitments were made in Mexico at a biennial meeting of city leaders.

The use of diesel in transport has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, as concerns about its impact on air quality have grown. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that around three million deaths every year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution.

The respiratory tract is the portal of entry of air pollutants, and thus the lung is the first organ affected. The range of respiratory diseases that can be caused by air pollution exposure is large. Studies on the health impacts of air pollution differentiate between acute and chronic effects. The acute effects of pollution may be apparent within hours or days of exposure, but other health effects of air pollution result from long-term exposure, leading to chronic disease.