Viennese Air Quality Is at a Good Level
The City of Vienna implements measures to improve air quality in various areas that affect air quality. The measures seem to be working since the air quality in the city is at a good level.
Vienna Currently Displays Good Air Quality, According to the City's Measurements. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Ogre, CC BY 3.0
The data from Vienna's air measurement network for 2022 shows a positive trend: "In 2022, Vienna's air quality was again at the good level of recent years," said City Councilor for Climate Change Jürgen Czernohorszky. "Only at the turn of the year was there another sad peak in the air balance." On the first day of the New Year, limit value violations of the air pollutant fine dust PM10 were measured at 5 of 13 measuring stations. The cause: The fireworks, in combination with the weather conditions with little wind and a pronounced inversion, created a veritable "particle soup".
Overall, however, 2022 was a positive year in terms of air quality in Vienna: Only three measuring stations reported exceeding limits, only one of which exceeded the limit value on two days. "The air in our city is much better today than it was when we were children," emphasizes City Councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky. But the further prognosis is also very favorable: dedicated climate protection measures and the goal of making Vienna CO2-neutral by 2040 will also improve the air quality in the city even further."
As early as 2019, the EU limit values were observed for the first time at all measuring points. The first Corona year of 2020 reinforced the decreasing trend - partly due to lockdown-related drastically lower traffic figures. The years 2021 and 2022 continue to this very good level. The measured values for nitrogen dioxide at all 16 measuring points in Vienna were also below the limit values. Nitrogen dioxide is more strongly dominated by local sources, which is also reflected in the larger range of measured values compared to particulate matter.
Vienna implements several measures to reduce air pollution. This includes the expansion of public transport, the 365 euro ticket, parking space management, the ongoing expansion of the cycle path network, the use of low-emission vehicles, the promotion of e-mobility, and pedestrian-friendly urban development. The thermal renovation of residential buildings, environmentally friendly construction sites, the expansion of district heating, and efficient winter service also make an active contribution to air quality.