City officials worldwide are establishing policies to mitigate the impact of polluting automobiles, which contribute, in some cases, to hazardous breathing conditions. According to The New York Times, there are five major global cities motivated to constrain transportation emissions, which account for “nearly a fourth of all greenhouse gases, vital to suppressing climate consequences.” 

The four cities London, Beijing, New Delhi and Madrid. The mayors of these cities have been pressured to approach a solution for the health hazards from emissions. One popular solution is to exchange conventional cars for electric ones. Another is to ban all diesel vehicles from city centers during rush hour. 

Interestingly, major cities in the U.S. still have yet to catch up. New York City is the only U.S. city to endorse congestion pricing, which they announced would start in 2021. To understand where the United States is in relation to other countries, let’s take a look at each of the following cities’ plans to combat increased air pollution.

1) London: The British capital’s effort to phase out cars began as early as 2023, when, according to the The New York Times, “the city started a congestion charge of £5, about $8 at the time, to drive a car into the city center on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.” In addition to the congestion charge, the city recently initiated a new Ultra Low emissions Zone levy. This means, according to The The New York Times, that driving a car into central London can cost up to £24 on weekdays. 

2) Beijing: According to The New York Times, Beijing has implemented “financial incentives to scrap older diesel-burning cars, congestion zones [and] stricter tailpipe emissions standards.” In 2011, the city began its license plate lottery system. This means new cars have to wait for their license plates,  “forcing buyers to wait until they can ride their new car.” In addition, license plates are set aside mostly electric vehicles than conventional. 

3) New Delhi: This city implemented “a vast Metro system, a peripheral highway designed to keep cargo trucks out of the city, restrictions on older, polluting vehicles, and [required] that all buses/taxis switch from diesel to less-polluting natural gas” explained the New York Times. Yet, this highly populated city still needs to expand public transportation to really combat its pollution. A recent, strict policy forces cars with license plates ending in even and odd numbers to take turns every day for the first two weeks of November, the peak pollution season.

4) Madrid: Last year, the capital of Spain declared the harshest automobile restrictions in the world. This regulation included a “ban on most conventional cars in a portion of the city center, with fines for violators.” This restriction is part of the municipal-led initiative called “Madrid Central,” aiming to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide, a harmful pollutant that can cause lung irritation and lead to respiratory infections like pneumonia, according to the online publication Business Insider. The city specifically targets gas vehicles made prior to 2000 and diesel vehicles made prior to 2006. Those cars are only permitted if they have private parking spot and are registered in advance, according to the BI. Yet, in 2020 these cars won’t be allowed to enter at all, as only hybrid vehicles with an “eco-label” will be granted free reign. The fine to pay for violating the new rules is $100. Madrid’s initiative is expected to eliminate the impact of 20% of cars entering the urban core according to Business Insider. 

Despite President Trump pulling out of the Paris agreement, members of members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, attended the 2019 United Nations Framework Convention on climate change at Madrid taking place from Dec. 2nd to Dec. 13. According to the online publication politico, the International System saw that states like California and New York are still vouching to support the Paris agreement despite the President’s decision to ignore it. As former Secretary of State John Kerry summed up, “Trump may have pulled out, but the American people haven’t,” in an online POLITICO recent interview. According to the online publication of LA Times upcoming plans in cities like Los Angeles and New York could soon be following the footsteps of these five global cities fighting climate change.