The European Commission has unveiled it’s Zero Pollution Action Plan, which aims to ensure healthy ecosystems and living environments for citizens across Europe by striving for zero-pollution in the air, water, soil, and consumer products.
The strategy should contribute to preventing exposure to harmful pollutants, thereby protecting the health of Europe’s citizens and those living with a lung disease.
Fossil fuels contribute significantly to climate change and air pollution, and both have well-documented harmful effects on human health. Prof. Zorana J. Andersen, Chair of the ERS Environment and Health Committee, said:
“The European Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan is urgently needed; evidence from around the world has shown that exposure to air pollution worsens the severity of COVID-19, and long-term exposure to pollution increases the risk of major respiratory and cardiometabolic diseases, lung cancer and respiratory infections. New, innovative urban and rural concepts such as 15-minute cities and sustainable farming strategies, which are supported by the Commission’s Action Plan, can make all of the difference to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we grow our food on.”
ERS urges Member States to seriously engage with this ambitious plan to protect the health of citizens.
Read the European Commission press statement on the Zero Pollution strategy.