$45 Million Fuels Global Clean Air Expansion

The global Breathe Cities initiative, dedicated to enhancing air quality and public health, is set to broaden its reach with a substantial $45 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies. This funding will bolster the project's efforts across its growing network of cities, enabling local leaders to implement stronger policies and improve health outcomes.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Madrid, Spain, are the newest additions to the network, bringing the total number of participating Breathe Cities to 16 across five continents. Beyond these core cities, the initiative has engaged over 60 other cities globally through knowledge-sharing to accelerate air quality action.

The new investment will support four key areas: deploying air quality sensors to gather data and identify pollution hotspots, fostering community engagement to raise public awareness, providing technical assistance for policy design, and facilitating city-to-city exchanges of best practices. This multifaceted approach aims to drive significant improvements in urban air quality worldwide.

Since 2019, the original 14 cities have already implemented 26 clean air policies, achieving a 14% reduction in nitrogen dioxide pollution. Ten cities are actively working towards establishing clean air zones by 2030, showcasing tangible progress and demonstrating effective local solutions in tackling air pollution challenges.

Madrid has notably reduced nitrogen dioxide pollution by over 40% in 15 years through fleet electrification, expanded cycling infrastructure, and ambitious clean air strategies. The Clean Air Fund, a partner in this initiative, highlights Bloomberg Philanthropies' long-term commitment as transformative, enabling cities across continents to adopt ambitious policies and reduce pollution.