News, Air quality | Bergen “reported healthy” in a new report: – Huge storms

On Thursday, the Norwegian Environment Agency came up with the figures on air quality in Norwegian municipalities for 2022.

Five municipalities breached the limit values ​​for particulate matter, writes the Norwegian Environment Agency in a report.

Five violations

Last year, the government lowered the limits for how much particulate matter is allowed in the air outdoors.

The reason for the tightening was an analysis which showed that the social benefits from less air pollution are far higher than the costs of measures, points out environmental director Ellen Hambro.

The purpose of the limit values ​​is to protect the health of the citizens.

– Not surprisingly, there will be more violations when the limit values ​​become stricter. Nevertheless, Oslo, Drammen and Lørenskog would also be breached with the old limit values, the report points out.

NRK mentioned the news first.

Bergen, on the other hand, is “reported healthy” and stays within the limit value. The city was ranked fifth out of the 320 European cities with the best air quality by the EU Environment Agency.

But it has not always been this way. For many years, especially on cold winter days, the air quality over Bergen has been poor.

The municipalities that have breached the limit value must draw up an action plan, and must decide what the municipality and other responsible parties will do to keep the levels down. Studded tire fees, environmental speed limits and road cleaning are examples of such measures.

– Great stuff

City councilor for climate, environment and urban development Ingrid Nergaard Fjeldstad (V) believes this is good news.

– I think this is fantastic. It is almost strange to think that it is only a little over a decade since the city air in Bergen was among the worst in Europe. Now we are at the very top, says Fjeldstad to BA.

– What have we done right?

– Our clean air does not have a single cause, but is based on a wide range of measures. We have opened two light rail lines, increased the proportion of electric cars, introduced a rush hour tax and increased tolls which have reduced traffic, put in place land current and cruise restrictions, improved street and tunnel cleaning and introduced a deposit scheme for polluting fireplaces, says Fjeldstad.

She believes that, in sum, these things have had a good effect.

– We must do more of what we already know works. In particular, I think it is important to make it more attractive for people to choose other means of transport than the car in everyday life, says Fjeldstad.

Better in Bergen

Road traffic and wood burning are the most important local emission sources of air pollution, points out the Norwegian Environment Agency.

In Bergen, the studded tire season is from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Sunday. In 2021, non-clean-burning fireplaces were also banned.

Measuring stations have been placed in several places in Bergen to measure the air quality. In October 2022, the city council decided to introduce a nine-point program to improve air quality.

Here are the city council’s nine points:

• Continuation of the studded tire fee
• Street cleaning and cleaning of tunnels. Dust binding.
• Measurement, mapping, notification and information
• Measures in and around the tunnels in central Bergen.
• Land current to ships in port
• Subsidy for replacement of old wood stoves and ban from 2021
• Follow up on the obligations in the urban growth agreement regarding zero growth in passenger car traffic
• Follow up on the commitments in the Green Strategy (Climate and Energy Action Plan for Bergen)
• Development of entrance parking