Only 17 of the 151 Spanish municipalities that, according to the Climate Change Law, must implement low emission zones (ZBE) have done so so far, as reported by the central government, which it describes as "enormously regressive". the "steps back" in terms of mobility that municipalities such as Logroño have taken.
This was expressed by the Acting Vice President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, at an event on mobility and air quality in cities held in Madrid, in which she also announced that a map will be published next Monday with information on the municipalities with the obligation to establish ZBE.
To date, only 14 of the cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and 3 of those with more than 20,000 have complied with the mandate of the Climate Change Law (also forced to activate ZBE due to the high levels of air pollution), it has been reported. At the meeting, held on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for a Blue Sky, the deputy director general of clean air and industrial sustainability, Marta Muñoz.
The minister recalled that air pollution is the leading environmental cause of premature death in the European Union - it is estimated that air pollution due to levels of nitrogen oxides (NO2), ozone (O3) and suspended particles below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is behind 20,000 premature deaths annually in Spain, and has had an impact on environmental, social and economic costs.
Ribera has lamented that the model according to which Spanish cities have been designed has an “unequal occupation of public space”, where 65% is allocated to cars, and entails “a significant cost in health systems, in care, especially in emergencies, which are the most expensive from the point of view of health management.”
Accompanied by a group of specialists in health, mobility and urban planning, the minister has also highlighted the difficulty of promoting changes from public administrations, although she has recognized the level of social awareness among the population to favor this urban transformation, and has cited as For example, the demonstration in defense of Madrid Central that took place in the summer of 2019.
“I have the impression that in cities like Pontevedra we could not do what we saw done in Logroño just 15 days ago; "That 'reopens to traffic,'" said Ribera, who emphasized that "freedom is enjoying the street, not the car."
For his part, the researcher at the Transport Research Center of the Polytechnic University of Madrid David Lois has assured that the majority of people “are for this modification, on the right side of history”, but “we need political leadership strong and determined.”
“It is said that many people cannot give up any type of motorized travel, but it turns out that around 30% of trips in cities, let alone in medium and small ones, are less than 2 kilometers,” Lois highlighted. .
From the point of view of communication, Cristina Linares, researcher at the National School of Health of the Carlos III Health Institute, has suggested paying more attention to the co-benefits of transforming the urban model in favor of active mobility - on foot or by car. bicycle - such as the reduction in the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, obesity, diabetes or those related to mental health.
Linares has pointed out that at the moment “the postal code is more important than the genetic code”, and added that “a lot of money is invested in health care but if the same amount were invested in improving the urban environment, the area where one lives , the risk factors would be greatly reduced”
