Konstantin Fomin, the media coordinator for Greenpeace Russia, informs that last year at the events of the c, it was impossible to ignore the serious problem air pollution.
Research by Greenpeace Russia showed that air pollution has long been a widespread concern; 82% of Moscow’s residents and 77% of those of St.Petersburg are dissatisfied with the quality of the air they’re breathing. The same research found that more than 80% of respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg are aware that emissions from fossil-fuelled vehicles are the primary source of harmful air.
The good news is that the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia has proposed restrictions such as low emission zones for vehicles below the heavily polluting Euro-3 emissions standard. This is a step in the right direction in an effort to tackle air pollution in Moscow and other major cities.
Konstantin Fomin is hoping that Moscow and St. Petersburg will set an example in solving this problem for other cities in Russia and beyond. There are already more than 200 cities in Europe with such zones, including Berlin, Brussels, Rotterdam and Copenhagen, where this has led to a significant improvement in air quality.
