Ambitious and Just Transposition of the AAQD in Germany

This project is a build up to the previous Clean Air Fund project, which also addressed the revised EU Air Quality Directive and analyzed the role of the German government in its revision.

The project “Ambitious and Just Transposition of the AAQD in Germany” aims to support the most polluted regions of Germany in implementing the new pollutant limits without time-limited exemptions. It identifies politically feasible, cost-efficient and socially equitable ways to comply with the limit values — with a focus on particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) as well as central emission sources such as traffic and domestic heating. The findings lead to political recommendations for regional air quality plans and federal policy decisions.

While some environmental and health organizations have advocated for ambitious limit values, most national health policymakers and public health organizations have so far remained only marginally involved.

Now that national and regional measures are required for implementation, the political pressure to act is increasing — particularly in industrialized and structurally weak regions.

A needs assessment and identification of necessary measures in the most affected regions of Germany will contribute to the development of concise policy recommendations on how the new limit values can be achieved as quickly as possible in a socially equitable and politically in a socially equitable and politically feasible manner. The present project focuses on the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia and the city-state of Berlin, where high levels of air pollution are associated with health and socio-economic challenges. Concurrently, delays and exceptions in the implementation of the directive are to be expected in these areas — given considerations such as municipal budget constraints and concerns about the weakening of industries.

Project aims

The overarching goal of this project is to ensure that Germany is on track to transpose the Air Quality Directive into national law by the end of 2026, with a particular focus on the most affected regions of the country. The aim is to mitigate the risk of exemptions and delays by enhancing awareness of the necessity for implementation. The project is thus in line with the EU portfolio strategy to support an ambitious and just transposition of the Air Quality Directive into German law.

A central focus is the mobilization of relevant stakeholders — including trade unions, industry representatives, patient groups, youth and social welfare organizations, non-governmental organizations, government representatives, researchers and health professionals. The aim is to jointly develop concrete proposals that consider environmental, social and economic aspects. At the same time, groups that have often been underrepresented in political discourse on air quality in Germany are also being addressed. At the end of this project, the public and political understanding of the beneficial impacts of an ambitious clean air policy should be strengthened. Improved dialog and knowledge transfer will create sustainable alliances that will persist beyond the project’s duration and can serve as a basis for the implementation of novel air quality plans and measures.

Methodology

The project coordinates a national coalition of stakeholders and organizes six dialogue events in the Ruhr region and in Berlin. Core activities:

Identification of relevant stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for the implementation of the Directive and to develop a tailored dialog approach through bilateral meetings.
Exchange with political decision-makers at federal, state and municipal level to exert a targeted influence on a coordinated and effective implementation of the directive.
Conducting dialogues to analyze local air quality plans, social inequalities and challenges in implementing the new limit values in the Ruhr and Berlin regions.
Preparation of a policy brief based on the results of the dialogues with concrete policy recommendations for effective implementation of the Air Quality Directive and dissemination of the findings.

With this structured approach, the project is contributing to Germany achieving its air quality targets while maintaining social justice.