4 schemes helping cities achieve clean air – and how to scale them globally

Air pollution has been estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year, according to the World Health Organization, and nearly half of urban airborne contamination comes from city transport. While vehicles are essential to the vitality of cities, without the right policies in place, transport will continue to be a major contributor to harmful air pollution.

The good news? Cleaner air is within reach. Across the world, cities are embracing innovative mobility strategies. With support from businesses and innovators, these strategies are transforming how people and goods move, reducing emissions, protecting public health and creating more liveable cities.

Here are four solutions currently driving that change:

Many cities designate certain zones where only vehicles meeting emissions criteria are freely permitted. These low emission zones (LEZs) restrict or limit high-polluting vehicles in city centres, imposing daily fees, fines or outright bans on vehicles that exceed emissions thresholds.

The positive impact on air pollution within these zones is clear. In the UK, London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), the largest in the world, has cut nitrogen dioxide by 27% and particulate matter by 31% since it expanded citywide in 2023. But LEZs deliver benefits beyond better air quality. In it's first year alone, the English city of Bradford's LEZ was estimated to have saved the health service more than £30,000, for example.

When well-planned and implemented alongside public consultation to address access and equity, these zones can also encourage shifts toward public transport, cycling and walking. Some of these approaches have now been distilled into guidance to help other cities navigate similar challenges and opportunities.

LEZs can create both challenges and opportunities for businesses. While they may influence customer access and operational routines, they can also encourage the adoption of cleaner transport options, new delivery approaches and innovative technologies that support environmental goals and broader business adaptability.

As battery prices fall and charging networks expand, the electrification of city fleets like buses, taxis and service vehicles is becoming a financially sound and socially responsible investment.

In Wellington, New Zealand, the percentage of electric buses travelling across the city's heavily trafficked Golden Mile corridor rose from 5% to over 50% between 2022 and 2023. This shift led to a 50% reduction in black carbon and a 29% drop in nitrogen dioxide levels throughout the district. This has significantly improved air quality in one of the busiest parts of Wellington, as well as lowering noise pollution.

Although initial costs for vehicles and chargers can be high, lower fuel and maintenance costs tend to make electric fleets cheaper over time. This potential for demand growth is igniting innovation in charging networks and grid integration, creating opportunities for energy companies, technology providers and fleet operators to collaborate on scalable solutions.

Comprehensive cycling networks improve air quality while also transforming urban mobility.

Paris has added more bike lanes to its cityscape in recent years. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, bike path usage doubled during rush hour and cyclists now outnumber cars on many of the city’s streets.

The results of Paris' growing cycling network are promising. Alongside other elements of Paris’s climate strategy, cycling has contributed to a 50% reduction in Nitrogen dioxide pollution and 55% decrease in particulate matter citywide since 2005.

Successful cycling infrastructure can coexist with vehicle traffic thanks to protected bike lanes. These lanes offer safety and predictability for cyclists while maintaining flow for other road users.

Done right, cycling investments can also advance social inclusion. Affordable bike-share programmes and well-connected routes can link underserved communities, opening up access to jobs, education and services. And, of course, cycling also provides health benefits from active travel to residents.

For businesses and innovators, cycling networks can boost local business performance and increase demand for bike-share technology, cargo delivery services and urban mobility solutions that support clean air and more accessible cities.

Traditional freight delivery relies heavily on diesel vans making multiple trips from distant depots into city centres, but this can drive up emissions, noise and congestion. Some cities are experimenting with shared micro-hubs instead. These small centres are located closer to demand. Logistics firms can use them to gather goods before completing final-mile delivery with zero-emission options like cargo bikes or small EVs.

Under Berlin’s KoMoDo project, five major logistics providers share a micro-hub within the city, enabling joint use of electric cargo bikes for last-mile delivery within a 3-kilometre radius. This project has reduced redundant van trips, cut around 11 tonnes of CO₂ emissions over a 12-month period and eased traffic on local streets. For residents, it means less congestion from delivery vans on roads and it frees up curb space for pocket parks and pedestrianisation.

For logistics companies and innovators, shared micro-hubs can maximise efficiency and lower costs, while also helping cities to meet climate and liveability goals.

As cities continue to grow and climate risks mount, urban mobility policy has become a frontline tool for delivering clean air and healthier communities. Tackling air pollution also addresses broader urban challenges, resulting in interrelated gains in public health, economic growth and city living.

What's needed now is scale – and this will require action from both the public and private sectors. The World Economic Forum is bringing cities, businesses and innovators together to create scalable clean air solutions through projects like the Alliance for Clean Air, which launched at COP26. In 2025, the alliance and members of the Global New Mobility Coalition will launch a new workstream on Transport and Urbanism that aims to speed up cross-sector collaboration on implementing proven mobility options to improve air quality and drive sustainable growth.

Cities need clear targets, cross-sector partnerships, inclusive design and smarter funding mechanisms to make urban clean air initiatives successful. Most importantly, clean air strategies must resonate with people's everyday life – from delivering safer streets to more economic opportunities – to win support and drive lasting change in cities around the world.