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Cork City has reached a significant milestone, ranking as the 15th cleanest city in Europe and the top city in Ireland for air quality, according to the latest report by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

This remarkable achievement places Cork ahead of many similarly sized European cities. The cleanest air in Europe, from a survey of 372 cities, was recorded in Uppsala, Sweden. Cork City’s air quality was measured at 5.2 μg/m³, slightly above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline of 5 μg/m³.

Numerous studies have highlighted the harmful health effects of particulate matter in the air. In Ireland, PM2.5 particles are mainly produced by solid fuel burning, with a smaller contribution from road traffic.

Cork’s ranking in this European comparison reflects the city’s commitment to improving air quality in recent years. Initiatives such as the Air Quality Strategy, the establishment of a Clean Air Zone, citizen science projects, and Cork’s hosting of Clean Air Day have all contributed to the city’s success.

Lord Mayor, Cllr. Dan Boyle, expressed his satisfaction with the progress, stating:

“It is encouraging that the efforts of Cork City Council to create better public awareness of the need to protect air quality, have begun to bear fruit. Cork compares well with similar sized European cities. There is, however, little room for complacency as there are times of the year when pollution risks are too high and must be reduced. Our goal is to bring air quality in the city to comply with the WHO standards.”

While the EEA report is promising, it also highlights the ongoing need to meet WHO’s more stringent air quality limits. Cork City Council remains committed to improving public and active travel, retrofitting public buildings and housing, and promoting grant schemes for home energy upgrades.

For further information, visit www.gov.ie/cleanair.