Sofia is the first city in Southeast Europe to introduce low-emission zones for transport and heating, said Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, who participated in the opening of the "Clean Air Hub" forum within the framework of the London Climate Action Week. This was announced by the press center of the Sofia Municipality.
During the forum, philanthropist and UN Special Envoy Michael Bloomberg announced a large-scale investment of $45 million to expand the global "Clean Cities" network (Breathe Cities), in which Sofia is a key partner alongside cities such as London, Paris, Milan and Warsaw, informed the Municipality.
In his opening remarks to leaders from governments, business and the civil sector, Mayor Vasil Terziev emphasized that clean air is not a luxury, but a basic human right. He shared Sofia's experience as the first city in Southeast Europe to introduce low-emission zones (LEZ) for transport and heating. Today, Sofia is no longer only following global examples, but is itself a leader that turns international support into real results for the health of its citizens, Terziev noted.
The mayor's program in the British capital also included the opening of the specialized forum on the role of technology in the urban environment. Terziev was invited as a keynote speaker because of his experience combining leadership in local government and expertise in the software sector. He stressed that Sofia is already on the path of this transformation, turning raw data into tools for better governance and citizen health.
Data from the last heating season shows that the Sofia Municipality's comprehensive approach is working, Terziev noted at the forum. Sofia registered a 22% drop in the average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM10), 52% fewer days with air quality standards exceeded compared to the previous winter, a 42% drop in violations in the "Small Ring" of the low-emission zone, which proves that the most polluting cars remain outside the center, as well as over 20,000 old stoves replaced in households, which saves 219 tons of harmful emissions annually.