Mexico 'sees air quality improvements'

Mexico City has seen significant recent improvements in its air quality, according to a report.

AFP says that the city's atmosphere has been so free of pollutants its residents have even been able to enjoy views of its two nearby volcanoes, Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl.

A 2007 report by Mercer Human Resource Consulting ranked Mexico City as the world's fifth dirtiest, but one local environmental worker says concerted efforts over recent decades have resulted in a noticeable upturn in the city's environmental condition.

Gustavo Alanis of the NGO Mexican Centre for Environmental Law commented: "We have been fighting pollution for more than 20 years and the improvement is undeniable."

The news comes as over 200 Hong Kong businesses have put their names to a petition aimed at forcing the region's government to take decisive action on the area's air quality.

Earlier this month, local officials issued a health warning as the air pollution index exceeded 100.

Written by Joseph Hutton