1.4 Air pollution • From 2022, public transport vehicles will only be allowed in the city center if they have electric or hydrogen engines. Amsterdam has established a set of measures, known as the From 2030 all buses used for public transport in the Clean Air Action Plan, to enable it to comply with European Air Netherlands must be emission free; Quality Standards, which cohere well with the WHO’s guidelines. • From 2030, all traffic within the city must be emission free. Amsterdam is already a leader in the field of electric vehicles. The plan has also defined a clean energy strategy for Part of its strategy to reduce air pollution is to promote electric Amsterdam’s municipal ferries, which account for 25 percent cars even more. Residents who buy an electric vehicle can apply of all the diesel consumed by vehicles operated by the for a charging station in their neighborhood, and the municipality municipality, and 2 percent of all of Amsterdam’s particulate will provide extra charging stations based on demand (CAAP, City matter emissions (CAAP,5City of Amsterdam, 2019). These of Amsterdam, 2019). Drivers of electric vehicles have priority measures, if they are all effectively implemented, are projected for parking and loading spaces. Residents and companies to reduce the number of kilometers driven by diesel vehicles that switch to electric vehicles receive support from the Dutch in Amsterdam by up to 95 percent. Air quality in the city is government in the form of purchasing advice and subsidies. measured annually by eleven GGD monitoring stations and 124 Palmes diffusion tubes (CAAP, City of Amsterdam, 2019). Under the Clean Air Action Plan, Amsterdam has set a zero- Amsterdam anticipates that, by 2025, twenty-three thousand emission target for 2030 (CAAP, City of Amsterdam, 2019), and charging points for electric vehicles will be needed in public it has established the following measures so that it can meet spaces (CAAP, City of Amsterdam, 2019). At present, 70 percent this target: of trips within the city are made using emissions-free vehicles •Since 2020, diesel cars have not been allowed within such as bikes (CAAP, City of Amsterdam, 2019). Amsterdam’s center; Figure 2.3 – Expected decline of emissions from traffic, 2020-2030 Expected decline of emissions 96% 95% from traffic 2020-2030 Nitrogen 77% Particular matter CO (in case of 100% green enery)2 52% 42% 28% 32% 1% 2% 8% 7% 0% 2020 2030 2030 2030 Environmental zone City centre A10 ring road Built-up area passenger cars Euro4 emission-free zone for emission-free zone for emission-free for all A10 ring road buses and coaches taxis, buses, coaches, velicule categories vans and trucks Source: CAAP, City of Amsterdam (2019) Another project, this one called Smart Citizens, aims to 1.5 Medical services contribute to the target to reduce CO emissions set for 2030.2 Residents can purchase low-cost air quality sensors and Most of Amsterdam’s health-related innovations are driven by connect them to an open-data program that complements the Amsterdam Health and Technology Institute (AHTI), which the existing dataset monitored by the city. Additionally, was set up in 2014. involving residents in the challenge of reducing CO emissions2 encourages them to understand and collaborate withThe Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is a hub for medical implementation of the smart city agenda. research in the Netherlands and is home to leading universities, (5) Clean Air Action Plan: CAAP below. 64 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021