London, San Francisco and Beijing achieve ‘remarkable reductions’ in air pollution

Cycle lanes such as these in London are among the interventions that have helped reduce levels of PM2.5 and NO2 by more than 20% since 2010 Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

London, San Francisco and Beijing are among 19 global cities that have achieved “remarkable reductions” in air pollution, analysis has found, having slashed levels of two airway-aggravating pollutants by more than 20% since 2010.

The analysis found interventions such as cycle lanes, uptake of electric cars and restrictions on polluting vehicles had helped to drive the improvements.