New Zero Pollution Dashboard shows the progress in EU cities and regions on pollution levels

As part of the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Zero Pollution Dashboard monitors the state of the main environmental pollution indicators in the EU regions and cities, providing an overview of their green performance.

On 3 March 2025, the European Commission launched the new Zero Pollution Dashboard for cities and regions. Its objective is to assess progress towards achieving clean air, water, and soil, improving citizens’ health, protecting biodiversity, and creating well-being.

The Dashboard is part of the EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan, a key component of the European Green Deal. Pollution is the largest environmental cause of multiple diseases and premature deaths and one of the main reasons for biodiversity loss. Therefore, the fight against air, water, and soil pollution is crucial. The Plan is a compass to mainstream pollution prevention in the relevant EU policies, intending to reach zero emissions levels by 2050. It includes the implementation of nine flagship initiatives to address pollution.

A tool to track progress

The Zero Pollution Dashboard monitors the progress of EU zero pollution vision for 2050, which aims for air, water and soil pollution to be reduced to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems, The Dashboard outlines targets to be achieved by 2030, including:

Enhancing air quality to reduce premature deaths caused by air pollution by 55%;
Improving water quality by cutting waste, reducing plastic litter at sea by 50%, and limiting microplastic releases by 30%;
improving soil quality by reducing nutrient losses and cutting the use of chemical pesticides by 50%;
Cutting by 25% the EU ecosystems at risk from air pollution;
Reducing chronic transport noise exposure by 30%;
Reducing waste generation and residual municipal waste by 50%.

The results are calculated using 45 quantitative indicators linked to three key components—production and consumption, health, and ecosystems. By providing data-driven insights, the Dashboard is a valuable tool for tracking progress, highlighting best practices, assessing pollution reduction efforts, and identifying opportunities for sustainable development.

Is your neighbour’s grass greener?

The Zero Pollution Dashboard features an interactive map displaying environmental pollution scores of EU regions and cities based on multiple indicators. The results are encouraging, showing that most EU regions have reduced air, water, and soil pollution over the past 20 years.

That being said, while road transport emissions have significantly decreased, air pollutant emissions from aviation and shipping have nonetheless risen. Despite this, air quality has improved overall, with 97% of regions experiencing better conditions since 2016. Notably, 15 regions in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, and Sweden recorded the lowest pollution levels between 2020 and 2022.

Air pollutants are also monitored in the Dashboard, highlighting ongoing concerns about nitrate pollution, which threatens both health and the environment. Only 6% of regions—37 in total—remained within the legal threshold, while one in four regions exceeded the legal limit. Additionally, nitrogen pollution from agriculture remains a widespread issue, impacting all regions.

Noise levels negatively affect more than 20% of the European population. Noise pollution remains a challenge. While the regions of Berlin, Helsinki, and Madrid have the lowest exposure, only 10% of EU residents have experienced a reduction.

Urban populations face the greatest public health risks from pollution, making continuous monitoring—especially in capital cities—essential as urbanisation increases. Among capitals, half luckily already comply with the EU’s 2030 air quality standard for fine particulate matter, and over half (18 out of 26) meet noise reduction targets—those missing may need to pick up the pace soon!

POLIS provides support for reducing pollution

Transport is one of the most polluting sectors, and a large part of it is concentrated in urban areas. Through its projects, POLIS actively contributes to supporting cities and regions to lower their pollution levels and ensure better life quality for their citizens. Supporting active transport, electromobility, and renewable energy sources are the core of POLIS mission and crucial elements to achieving climate neutrality.

The Working Group on Clean Vehicles and Air Quality tackles air pollution in urban transport, sharing best practices on clean vehicles. The Urban Freight Working Group works to cut emissions from freight systems, while the Climate-Neutral Cities Mission Taskforce enables peer-to-peer exchanges on decarbonisation initiatives. Finally, the Access Working Group addresses challenges such as access regulations, including Low Emission Zones (LEZ) and Zero Emission Zones (ZEZ).

POLIS also runs several pollution-reduction projects. The LENS project develops and promotes best practices against traffic-related noise and air pollution. Concerning urban emissions, the GIANTS project encourages the use of lighter vehicles to counter SUV proliferation, improving air quality and road safety. The SUM project introduces Novel Shared Mobility systems in more than 15 European cities, to discourage the use of private cars. To support decision-makers in adopting sustainable mobility plans, REFOCUS improves engagement and inclusivity among stakeholders.

Several POLIS members rank among the best-performing regions in the Zero Pollution Dashboard. The regions of Madrid, Berlin, Noor-Holland, and Helsinki have some of the lowest noise pollution levels. The capitals of Helsinki, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Madrid, and Lisbon have already met at least three of the four key targets for air quality, noise, urban wastewater, and bathing water.