Why in news?
‘Clean Air Cities Declaration’ was unveiled at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen.
Declaration:
- Thirty-five mayors signed the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, which commits cities to:
- set ambitious pollution reduction targets within two years that meet or exceed national commitments;
- implement clean air policies by 2025 that address causes of pollution in the cities;
- meet World Health Organization’s (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines by 2030;
- continually reduce their cities’ emissions and advocate for reducing regional emissions;
- publicly report on progress;
Mayors could achieve these goals by:
- expanding low- or zero-carbon public transport;
- creating zero-emission zones;
- requiring cleaner fuels for heating and cooking;
- enhancing incentives and infrastructure to support walking and cycling;
- establishing city-wide air quality monitoring;
- The Declaration also called on national governments and businesses to match this commitment. If the 35 signatories reduce annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in line with the WHO Guidelines, around 40,000 deaths could be avoided annually.
