Solution proposed by : Respire
Ekolo Mundo ne contrôle ni la faisabilité ni la viabilité des solutions proposées
Contributor email : contact@respire-asso.org
Structure : BREATHE
France
Paris
Île-de-France
Difficulty level :
Respire is a non-profit organization established under the French Law of 1901 with a national scope, dedicated to preventing health hazards caused by air pollution and improving air quality. It specializes in understanding the political, economic, social, and health-related challenges associated with air pollution in France and Europe. It draws on existing scientific and public data as well as regulations to inform, communicate, develop technical tools, and build its advocacy efforts.
Actions
Schools
Even more so than we are, children are vulnerable to pollution. Their respiratory and immune systems are immature; they breathe faster, are smaller, and are therefore closer to vehicle exhaust pipes.
Together with partner organizations from the La Rue est à nous Paris coalition, Respire helped bring forward the idea of a specific urban planning initiative to protect schools (the “school streets”) during the 2020 municipal campaign. Once elected, the current municipal administration committed to improving air quality around 300 Parisian schools—with a particular focus on schools in polluted areas—and to pedestrianizing and completely redeveloping 100 of them by 2026.
Sports and Air Pollution
Respire has published a study accompanied by a new interactive map to illustrate air pollution around the main open-air sports fields in Greater Paris.
Although air quality has improved over the past 10 years in Paris, nearly all of the city’s sports fields studied exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended air quality thresholds.
Wood Heating
In 2018, wood heating was the leading contributor to particulate matter emissions nationwide. According to the Ministry for Ecological and Solidarity Transition, wood combustion accounts for 41% of particulate matter emissions in France, compared to 17% for road transport.
Transport
Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are responsible for 15% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Europe and are the largest source of toxic nitrogen dioxide pollution, which shortens the life expectancy of more than 300,000 Europeans each year.
