Glasgow hits air pollution target for first time as LEZ cuts emissions

Glasgow has hit its air pollution target for the first time, as vehicle emissions were slashed in the city centre.

Air pollution has been falling since the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) came into effect two years ago, and the reductions have been “greater than predicted”, a council report found.

Glasgow’s LEZ came into force on June 1, 2023, and was set up to cut emissions and pollution by stopping older vehicles from entering the city centre.

Following the initial positive results in the first year, a council committee report said there were further “significant reductions” in the levels of pollution across the city in 2024, particularly within the area of the LEZ.

It was the first time Glasgow met all of its statutory air pollution objectives since the Local Air Quality Management process was established in 1995.

The levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution, in particular, have come down since the LEZ was implemented.

The zone covers the city centre bounded by the M8 to the north and west, the River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket/High Street to the east.

All vehicles entering this area need to comply with the LEZ restrictions, and cars that fail face a penalty charge.

Last year was the first full year of air quality data since Glasgow began enforcing the LEZ.

The Hope Street kerbside monitoring station, which used to consistently record the highest nitrogen dioxide levels within Scotland, is now recording levels almost 10% below the objective.

Two other city centre monitoring tubes, which recorded pollution levels above the objective in 2023, were both in full compliance in 2024, and the highest recorded level was more than 25% below the objective.

The report for Glasgow’s net-zero and climate progress monitoring policy committee concluded that the emissions reduction from the LEZ enforcement is “greater than predicted” – mainly due to the increased proportion of bus journeys within the zone that are zero emission.

“Results from automatic monitoring stations in 2024 show full compliance with the relevant objectives for all pollutants, continuing the significant reductions observed from the introduction of the Glasgow LEZ,” the report said.

Glasgow city councillors will discuss the report in detail at the net-zero and climate progress monitoring policy committee on Tuesday, August 12.