Responsible Tourism [#07] - cities with the cleanest air in Poland

Poland is one of the countries in the world struggling with significant air pollution. Although air quality in Poland has improved in recent years, thanks to anti-smog resolutions and the reduction of coal usage for heating homes, it is still not good. We rank among the countries in Europe with the worst statistics regarding air quality. On a global scale, Poland occupies the 53rd position. However, air pollution does not affect every city in Poland equally. So where can we take a deep breath of fresh air?

Holidu, the search engine for apartments and holiday homes decided to investigate, using data from the European Environment Agency and Google Maps, which cities in Poland boast the best air quality and where we can breathe a sigh of relief. Factors taken into account included the average concentration of PM2.5 particles in the air and the number of available electric vehicle charging stations in each city. Here are our top 5 cities in Poland with the cleanest air.

1. Warsaw

In the first place is Warsaw! Here, the average annual concentration of PM2.5 particles in the air in 2021 was 14.2, and we also considered the number of electric vehicle charging stations, which number over 80 in Warsaw. The balance of these two factors determined that Warsaw wins our ranking. The number of initiatives, both residential and municipal, such as the Capital City Greenery Board, which plans to green the city, presents an opportunity for further improvement of air quality in Warsaw. Also, DPD Poland is involved in the Breathe project, which aims to enhance living conditions by installing additional air quality monitoring sensors in the city. Warsaw is also considering the idea of launching a zero-emission transport zone, which would prevent older vehicles that emit excessive amounts of exhaust from entering a designated part of the city.

2. Gdańsk

In second place in our ranking is Gdańsk. Thanks to its location, it is one of the cities in Poland with the lowest average annual concentration of particles in the air (10.4 PM2.5). Despite being a city located right by the sea, with excellent air circulation, eliminating irritating and harmful particles is not entirely possible here. However, exceedances of pollution standards are not significant compared to cities in the south of the country. Thanks to actions taken by city authorities, such as a strong emphasis on reducing coal use for heating homes and connecting them to the municipal heating network, residents of Gdańsk are reporting increasing progress towards cleaner air in the city. Furthermore, authorities are seeking funding to replace old heating furnaces with ecological alternatives and are organizing meetings with residents to jointly define the scope of actions and plans to reduce smog in Gdańsk.

3. Zielona Góra

Completing the podium is Zielona Góra. Not everyone knows that Zielona Góra is the green lung of Poland, with about 50% of its area covered by forests. Such a sizable area of greenery helps maintain air quality at a good level, but even here, pollution indicators can sometimes show excessively high PM2.5 concentrations. How do city authorities cope in such situations? Actions are focused on educating residents, as the quality of the air in the whole city ultimately depends on them. They are kept informed about the air pollution situation and educated on ecological aspects. Furthermore, Zielona Góra participates in the Air Protection Programme, annually reporting to the Voivodeship Board on the progress of actions aimed at reducing air pollution concentrations.

4. Bydgoszcz

Another city on our list that is performing quite well in terms of reducing air pollution is Bydgoszcz. The largest city in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship took 4th place in our ranking due to numerous preventive actions aimed at improving air quality. Due to the city's location in a valley, the risk of smog is higher here. Consequently, the Kuyavian-Pomeranian authorities have implemented an anti-smog resolution in this area. What does this resolution include? Among other things, a ban on burning lignite coal and funding for replacing old furnaces with ecological ones. Furthermore, last year, the "Bydgoski Anti-Smoke Switch" project was launched. The goal of this programme is to take actions to improve air quality and raise awareness among residents to create local anti-smog initiatives. One such initiative was recently organized by students from the Bydgoszcz Building School, aimed at drawing attention to the smog issue. The youth marched through the city with banners encouraging more ecological habits and raising awareness about pollution from road transport.

5. Opole

Our top 5 ranking concludes with Opole. Opole, the capital of Opole Voivodeship, is one of the oldest cities in Poland. When it comes to air pollution, Opole is bravely fighting against the burning of low-quality coal. The city authorities fully understand the seriousness of the threat and the importance of maintaining air quality, which is why they strive to educate residents about what individual actions can help keep air quality at an optimal level. Since November 1, 2017, an anti-smog resolution has been in place in Opole. Accordingly, through the "Clean Air - Breath for Opole" programme, residents can apply for funding to purchase modern-generation furnaces. Meanwhile, ecological associations conduct workshops to raise residents' awareness about smog reduction.

Methodology

The study considered the 40 largest cities in Poland by population. We then analysed each city regarding the following factors: average annual PM2.5 air pollution in 2021 (source: European Environment Agency) and the number of available electric vehicle charging stations in each city (source: Google Maps). We ranked the cities considering that the air pollution factor is twice as important as the number of available electric vehicle charging stations in each city, thus this factor was weighted double. We then summarised the results and ultimately ranked the cities to create the TOP 5 list.