France/"New air" the plan of the Ile-de-France region to breathe better

Clean vehicles, ventilation, replacement of generators, reduction of ammonia in agriculture: the regional council of Ile-de-France has presented, Tuesday, March 21, a new plan in eight actions, "New air", to improve air quality. Without convincing the environmentalist opposition.

The plan developed during the first term of Valérie Pécresse, president (LR) of the region, has allowed a "rapid and sustainable improvement in air quality of the air on the Ile-de-France territory" with falls from 30 to 40 % of the concentrations in particles in suspension and nitrogen dioxides, affirms the region in a communiqué. " The inhabitants of the Ile-de-France region exposed to exceeding the thresholds were 2.9 million in 2010, they are less than 60,000 today," the authority said. But "pollution levels remain above the new values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the situation is worsening for ozone."

900 million euros by 2028

The objective of the new plan is "to go beyond the French regulations and fall within the WHO thresholds," says Olivier Blond, environmental health delegate for the region. The eight actions identified, each of which has yet to be specified, represent an estimated global budget of "900 million euros until 2028," he says.

Increase in the ceiling to finance clean vehicle fleets

The region announces to increase the ceiling of clean vehicles it subsidizes: up to five for artisans and small businesses, ten for delivery companies. "Since 2017, the Île-de-France Region has invested 40 million euros in favor of the transition to clean vehicles," says the authority.

Clean buses and clean air in transport

Regarding buses, the region says it has gone from 6% to 33% clean buses since 2016, converted 40 bus centers, and started to tackle air pollution inside public transport (measuring stations and fans). New goal: "significantly improve the air in 20 of the most polluted stations by 2028 with a budget of €6M."

The region will also sign an agreement with Aéroports de Paris (ADP) to "support the energy transition of its vehicles and runway equipment."

Ventilating equipment receiving fragile audiences

In addition to the installation of sensors in day care centers and schools, the region wants to "open up funding to repair or maintain ventilation systems" in facilities receiving fragile audiences, Blond emphasizes. "Since 2017, the Region has financed 1248 CO2 sensors and 532 air purifiers in 38 municipalities for an amount of 394 k€,"the authority figures.

Replacing generators

The plan also includes support for the replacement of polluting generators in festivals, film shoots and construction sites. " This is why the use of non-polluting generators will be included in the ecological bonus for events financed by the Region," the regional council announced.

Less ammonia in agriculture

Regarding agriculture, the objective is to reduce ammonia emissions that lead to pollution peaks. As such, will be launched an experimental program "which will financially assist volunteers to implement good practices identified by the Ademe.

An R network for communities

Last point of the plan, the creation of the R network for communities"through which they will have easier access to all measures in favor of air quality that are intended for them.

The opposition denounces the lack of quantified objectives and objective assessment

Not enough to convince the environmental group which denounced in a statement "a list of actions without quantified objectives and which is not based on any readable and objective assessment. The opposition group is calling for "urgent priority actions" such as "free public transport during pollution peaks", environmental education, "limiting the use of toxic products in the city", and "the development of a new environmental policy". pandage of toxic products in farms", the "reduction and management of waste", the energy renovation of buildings, and still the decarbonization of travel, getting out "finally of the smoky concept of the anti-cork plan . "

Source: 94.citizens.com/