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Air pollution

Bordeaux to spend €10m helping residents replace old fire heating systems

Old wood-burning stove heating systems contribute more to air pollution than cars

Speed limits to be lowered on more Paris roads from November

Two sections of motorway in the Paris area will be lowered in a bid to reduce noise pollution

Paris mairie publishes first results from ring road speed drop to 50 km/h

The results are cautiously positive, after the speed drop was only introduced this month

news

13 stations in Paris above recommended pollution levels - which are they?

The fine particle pollution found is among the most damaging to respiratory health

Dirty air could speed up the ageing of eyes says new French study

It found there was a possible increased risk of glaucoma for people who live in high-pollution areas

Marseille residents take port to court over cruise ship pollution

They say a 10-year campaign highlighting serious health problems in the French city has not hastened switch to cleaner power

‘Cut your cow numbers to help meet climate commitments’, France told

A court said France’s 17 million cows are ‘not favourable for the climate’ and that methane emissions must drop

Low-emission zones are a bad idea, say French greens

As the French senate launches a survey into the decision to ban older cars from city centres, the green party says it is “the worst possible way” to improve air quality

Northern French city to offer cash bonuses for carsharing on motorways

Up to €80 per month will initially be available to drivers who replace their usual solo journeys with carshare trips

Crit’Air sticker scams continue in France, online and via SMS

Drivers are warned to be alert to scams about new Crit’Air (air pollution certificate) stickers for vehicles. Here is how to avoid being scammed

Why a plane will be flying low over some French towns in coming weeks

The north east of the country has been chosen to be studied as part of a scientific project run by NASA and 49 other teams

Marseille brings in road restrictions to help reduce air pollution

The city centre has imposed Crit’Air pollution rules as the heatwave exacerbates pollution. The rules will remain in place until the situation improves

Toulouse introduces new low-emission zone for vans and trucks

The zone, which covers three-quarters of the city, will eventually ban more and more vehicles, between now and 2024

Top 100 ranking: The healthiest towns or cities in France to live in

A new list compares towns with older populations to see where you are more likely to live into a healthy old age – with a clear socio-economic divide emerging

Sahara sand in France can lead to health issues studies show

Weather patterns that cause the desert sand particles to blow over Europe can spread pathogens, viruses, and pollution as they travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres

Road speed cuts significantly reduce pollution in France

Cutting speeds on the autoroute into and out of Toulouse from 130kph to 110kph reduced nitrogen dioxide pollution by 9.8% – and about half the nearby residents are no longer in a zone rouge.

Nabila Ramdani: Paris' cycle city plan 'dangerously chaotic'

Turning Paris into a cycle city might make it cleaner but it won’t make it safer, says Connexion columnist.

Air pollution poses dangerous problem for France's schools

Pedestrianised areas in front of schools could be one solution to the problem of dangerously high levels of air pollution.

French drivers rush to swap cars as eco grant amount drops

People in France have been rushing to benefit from an increased government grant that enables drivers to exchange their more polluting cars for greener models, as the grant amount drops today (August 3).

Covid-19 summer in France: Are fans and air con safe to use?

As summer heats up, fans and air conditioning units are being turned on in homes, businesses, shops and offices. But are they wise to use as the SARS-Cov-2 virus is still around? We clarify current French advice.

New mayor plans to make Bordeaux car-free

The new mayor of Bordeaux (Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), Pierre Hurmic, is moving “towards a ban” on cars in the city, he has said.

French climate change convention to vote this weekend

A “Climate Change Convention” of 150 randomly-selected members of the public in France is to vote on proposals to combat climate change this weekend - including on the issues of housing, transport, and work.

France invests €20m in a post-Covid bike revolution

A €20 million plan has been launched to encourage people to get on their bikes as a safer way to travel post-confinement.

'Urgent' call to open parks in France’s red zones

French environmental association Respire has protested the government’s decision to keep parks and gardens closed in France’s "red zones", concentrated in Paris and the North East, calling the measure “completely counterproductive” to combatting coronavirus.

VW faces 'dieselgate' legal threat in France

Pan-European group that has launched bid for compensation in France has already started proceedings in the Netherlands and Belgium

Polluting outdoor heaters may soon be banned in France

Outdoor heaters used by restaurants to heat terraces may soon be banned in France due to their high levels of pollution - with the city of Rennes having banned them already.

New plans for Nantes airport confirmed

Nantes Atlantique airport is to receive changes to operations - including fewer night flights, and a longer runway - the French junior transport minister has announced.

Rouen offered rooms across France after toxic fire

People across France have been offering their spare bedrooms to Rouen residents seeking to leave the Normandy town after the recent Lubrizol chemical fire sent toxic clouds of black smoke into the air.

France wants more taxation on air transport pollution

France will push for more “taxation on the air transport” industry as a means to reduce pollution and work towards a carbon neutral future.

MPs propose ban on internal French flights

Amendment to draft mobility bill proposes cutting flights where an alternative rail link exists

Pollution alert: French region cuts speed limit

Air quality described as 'very bad' in three Brittany cities

French pollution rules still in place despite doubts

Vehicle pollution restrictions are still in place in Lyon and Villeurbanne (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) two days after their use in Paris and Lille, despite some questioning the effectiveness of the scheme.

Lille joins Paris in vehicle ban amid pollution spike

The Nord city of Lille (Hauts-de-France) has joined Paris to ban the most polluting vehicles from its roads today (Wednesday February 27) for the first time ever, due to a spike in levels of fine particle pollution.

Paris-Orly residents protest against plane noise rise

Residents living near Paris-Orly airport have protested against aeroplane noise, and called for longer nighttime airport hours to give them more quiet time to sleep.

App forecasts relief for allergy sufferers

Suffer with hay fever and want an air quality forecast? There's an app for that

Urgent anti-pollution measures triggered in Grand-Est

Urgent anti-pollution measures, including a reduction in the road speed limit, have been enacted in the Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Moselle and Meurthe-et-Moselle today (Sunday 4 March).

What changes in France this month

Cost of cigarettes rises, gas prices fall, new phone number-blocking system comes into force, Crit'Air stickers cost less, and there are rule changes for AirBnB properties in Bordeaux

Rennes motorists face new pollution controls

Scheme will come into effect in winter of 2018/19 - and is expected to cover the whole of the Ille-et-Vilaine department

Air pollution campaign aims to raise French awareness

France is to measure 90 air polluting substances and pesticides from 2018 onwards, in a bid to raise the public’s awareness of the quality of the air.

Toulouse drivers must display pollution stickers

Crit'Air vignettes to become mandatory in all vehicles as the 'Pink City' adopts anti-pollution scheme

Speed limits cut as Gironde faces pollution spike

Air quality levels plunge as residents turn up the heating during cold spell

Low-emission cars also caught in CO2 tax rise

Taxes on CO2 emitting vehicles are due to get tougher in the new year with higher penalties for drivers buying new vehicles – in some cases quadruple what they would have paid this year.

Airbus tests new smooth wing to cut fuel use by 4%

Company says after French test flight that saving may ‘sound little, but for us this is huge’

Woman sues state over poor air quality

A woman who claims to have suffered chest pains due to air pollution in the capital is to sue the state for compensation.

Drivers must have air pollution stickers from July

Drivers this month face fines of €45-€180 in some towns and cities if their vehicles do not have pollution rating stickers.