Berlin praised for improvements to air quality

Berlin has come out on top of a poll compiled to see which western European cities have taken the most effective action to improve air quality standards.

A team of non-government organisations (NGOs) have put together the city ranking in order to highlight the places that require the most work to improve the environment.

While the German city finished in first place, Rome, Milan and Dusseldorf were the worst performers, with little evidence of new measures being put into practice.

However, the group was impressed by steps taken to encourage more citizens to ditch their cars in favour of public transport in Berlin.

Copenhagen and Stockholm were also rated highly by the NGOs, who said the Scandinavian conurbations had implemented sound economic incentives for cutting pollution.

"Bad air quality is a major health problem in most European cities. In the most polluted cities the average life expectancy is reduced by over two years on average," a spokesperson for the team remarked.

Leader of charity Friends of the Earth Jenny Bates recently told the Guardian that London's air quality was "shameful".

Posted by Lauren Steadman