Low Emission Zones (ZBEs) have received from the Government the legal umbrella they need to set their conditions and ensure they are effective.. While such ‘pollution-free’ zones are mandatory for many Spanish cities As of January 1, 2023The fact is that a significant number will not meet this target on the specified date.
At its meeting this week, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the royal decree regulating Low Emission Zones, where access to the most polluting vehicles is restricted, and mandating cities to own these areas. they will also have to set specific emission reduction targets for 2030 internally. In this way, they want to force the affected municipalities to demonstrate the results achieved with these LEZs.
Climate Change Act, ratified in 2021, lIsland regions and cities with more than 50,000 inhabitantsalso those with more than 20,000 exceeding certain contamination values must have a ZBE before 2023.
In March this year, the Supreme Court of Justice of Catalonia annulled the December 2019 Barcelona City Council decision that approved the ZBE, after which the Government announced a royal decree that would adjust its design to avoid further judicial disruption.
That’s why the norm approved this Tuesday sets the minimum requirements these areas must meet, “providing legal certainty to individuals and companies through homogeneous legislation across the national territory,” the Ministry of Ecological Transition underlined.
for him, It defines specific and measurable targets in the field of LEZs and sets minimum requirements that must be met on key aspects such as expansion, limitation or access conditions.
ZBEs should contribute to improving air quality and mitigating climate change, and measures to achieve these goals will be ensured to promote compliance with acoustic quality targets, encourage modal change and promote energy efficiency, respectively. transportation use.
Protect health and stop climate change
Regarding air quality, LEZ projects should provide an improvement over the baseline. As the ultimate goal, they must comply with the 2021 World Health Organization air quality guidelines, which include recommended levels for the protection of public health.
Regarding climate change mitigation, local organizations should define measurable and measurable goals Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in LEZs by 2030.
These should be consistent with the emission reduction targets set by the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), particularly the goal of reducing the use of private motor vehicles compared to other modes of transport.
As long as compliance with these objectives is guaranteed, exceptional access to vehicles that pollute the environment for justified reasons, such as vehicles that provide essential public services (emergency services, garbage collection, etc.), will be allowed.
Charging points and building improvements
The royal decree further establishes that: local organizations should facilitate the installation of electric charging points or the provision of clean fuels such as hydrogen.
It also envisages that they can introduce. Complementary measures in the building sector, such as replacing heating systems, efficient energy rehabilitation or promoting emission-free air conditioning systems.
Likewise, interventions in urban areas of an adaptive nature can be included, such as those aimed at: reduce the heat island effect or increase in urban green spaces with adapted species.
On the other hand, it provides for the penalty regime to be applied with reference to traffic regulations for these purposes and a transition period of four years for compliance with the new standard of LEZ projects created before its entry into force.
Most of the cities that should have LEZs don’t have them yet and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) have asked the Government to extend the obligation until 2024 due to the delay in ratifying the royal decree that would set the minimum requirements to be met.
Among the major cities with these areas, Madrid and Barcelona stand out, but these have been shown to be insufficient to deal with the air quality problems these cities present and which could lead to sanctions by the European Union.
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Contact details of the environment department: [email protected]