The Municipality of Eindhoven finds cooperation within the Schone Lucht Akkoord (Clean Air Agreement) difficult.
The council wants more money from the state and the province to realise the improvement in air quality. To reinforce this position, Eindhoven has drawn up a bid book. It explains what the city needs to do to improve air quality and why.
People’s interests are considerable. According to the municipality, Eindhoven residents live on average nine months shorter because of the region’s poor air quality. The city wants to reduce this to five months in ten years.
Money needed
But to achieve this, a lot has to happen. And the council needs money and policy to make changes. For example, the municipality can’t do anything about the air pollution that’s caused by Eindhoven Airport and the motorways surrounding the city.
However, the Municipality of Eindhoven has noticed that there is a lack of decisiveness from central government. According to the city council, the Clean Air Agreement is already rather meagre in terms of content. On top of that, it is unclear to what extent the municipality can count on the state’s money.
It comes down to that the Municipality of Eindhoven wants the state to contribute €7 million. They’ll use the for, among other things, adjustments to the ring road, the accelerated introduction of green taxis, and a new air measurement network. If the municipality doesn’t receive the money, the city council is considering withdrawing from the agreement.
Cleaner air
In early 2020, the Clean Air Agreement was established. It contains agreements that lead to a permanent improvement in air quality. These ambitions go beyond the existing national standards.
A study by the consultancy CE Delft shows that Eindhoven residents bear healthcare costs. That’s due to poor air quality in the city. It amounts to some €282 million annually. This works out at €1,276 per inhabitant a year. These costs are the highest in the Netherlands after Amsterdam.
Improved air quality will reduce those costs. The bid book will soon be presented to State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by: Bob
