Our cities are too noisy and it’s a serious health concern, but one we don’t know enough about. That’s the key finding of a recent European Court of Auditors (ECA) report on urban air and noise pollution. Noise causes 12,000 premature deaths and 48,000 new cases of ischaemic heart disease, contributes to learning disabilities in children, causes sleep deprivation and annoyance, and costs Europeans an estimated 40 billion euros per year.
Noise is the not-so-silent killer. Paired with polluted air, which is responsible for the deaths of 250,000 people in Europe every year, it makes for a truly toxic match.
The need for comparable data
In cities, noise mostly comes from road transport caused by the engines and friction between tyres and roads. Europe has legislation to map and monitor noise in areas around major roads and in agglomerations. Cities and member states carry out this mapping and must develop an action plan with measures to reduce noise exposure.
A non-binding objective of 30% reduction of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 2030 was set as part of the ‘European Green Deal’. However, the ECA report points out that a new reporting calculation method – updated in 2020 – has “made it impossible” to compare the changes in noise pollution levels between the latest two rounds of mapping. This is something Eurocities members stressed in a 2020 policy paper, having called for guidance to bridge the gap in data.
“This gap essentially means we are starting from scratch when it comes to noise monitoring,” highlighted Pedro Oliveria, Head of the Environment Department in Lisbon and co-chair of the Eurocities Working Group Noise. “With a topic already so low on the political level – it is that much harder to secure political support and funding for noise reducing actions.” On top of this, noise reporting thresholds only cover part of the European population that may be exposed to harmful levels of noise.
How to avoid an even noisier future
Perhaps given these “considerable gaps” in reporting, it is not surprising that the Commission’s current estimates show that the number will not decline by more than 19% by 2030. Under the pessimistic scenario, the overall number of people chronically disturbed by transport noise may even increase by 3%.
We are starting from scratch when it comes to noise monitoring
Even electric cars and buses offer little hope for reducing noise pollution as legislation allows for an artificial engine to create the same level of noise as that of vehicles with an internal combustion engine. As cities are working hard to change their soundscape by creating low-emission zones and reducing speed limits, such loud engines hold them back.
This latest report, then, highlights the need for much more action. “If the EU wants to act seriously on noise, it should revise the existing legislation in two ways: first, lower the threshold to which engines are allowed to produce an artificial sound in consideration of the wider soundscape, and second, introduce mandatory noise reduction targets for member states to encourage funding for noise-positive urban policies,” notes Heather Brooks, Eurocities Policy Advisor.
Calculations made by Eurocities members back in 2020 found that a noise reduction target of 3dB by 2032 could reduce by 2.4 million the number of chronic high annoyed people, and by nearly 800,000 those who are high sleep deprived.
“Cities need political and financial support from member states to fund the most effective noise reduction measures – public transport infrastructure. To achieve this, we need to see mandatory noise targets for member states,” stressed Theo Benjert, Senior Noise Consultant from Rotterdam and co-chair of Eurocities Working Group Noise.
If the EU wants to act seriously on noise, it should revise the existing legislation
The air we breathe
Road traffic is also the main cause of air pollution. The health impacts of nitrogen dioxide – the primary pollutant emitted by road traffic – has been documented extensively by the health sector. As one of the main pollutants with impacts on respiratory diseases, such as asthma, local authorities have identified it as a priority for reduction, together with fine particles.
The EU’s revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) takes inspiration from actions that cities have already experimented with, such as school streets with no or limited traffic, or subsidies to incentivise the replacement of heating devices in households.
The new air quality objectives, as enshrined in the AAQD, also mean that more must be done by local governments. “Cities have shown they have the capacity to implement efficient and successful measures. However, member states should come up with national air quality plans as ambitious as cities plans to complement their efforts,” says Thomas Lymes, Eurocities Head of Advocacy. “Cities also expect other sectors responsible for air pollution, such as the automotive industry or the farming sector, to do more, as air pollution knows no borders.”
Wood burning and the use of pesticides in rural areas also have a detrimental effect on the level of air quality in cities. Since these sources of pollution come from outsides cities actions at the national scale are essential to have a decisive impact on this issue.
Member states should come up with national air quality plans as ambitious as cities plans
Ultimately, tackling noise and air pollution requires stronger collaboration across all levels of government, alongside clear and enforceable targets. Cities are already taking action, but they cannot achieve success alone. Support from member states, robust EU legislation, and accountability for other sectors are essential. By closing data gaps, introducing mandatory noise reduction targets, and ensuring national air quality plans align with local actions, Europe can move towards healthier, quieter, and more liveable cities for everyone.
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Watch this space for future information on these topics:
- Eurocities is working on a report to gather case studies and recommendations to push further legislation on noise reduction targets.
- Eurocities will advocate for stricter requirements applicable to national authorities for national air quality plans during the next chapter of the EU air quality framework revision (the NEC directive).
- Read the Eurocities policy statement on air quality.