Bucharest struggles with air quality, report says 60% of pollution comes from traffic

Bucharest is facing growing environmental challenges, with traffic-related air pollution, shrinking green spaces, and worsening climate impacts threatening the health and well-being of its residents, according to the latest “State of the Environment in Bucharest” report released by the Bucharest Community Foundation through the Environmental Platform for Bucharest. For example, air pollution has already reached alarming levels, with road traffic accounting for 60% of harmful emissions.

The report highlights the urgent need for a clear strategy to improve air quality and calls for structural action from authorities, organizations, and citizens through long-term, sustainable measures.

Heavy traffic, waste burning, and the operations of large industrial heating plants are making Bucharest’s air increasingly difficult to breathe, the initiators say.

The report reveals that road traffic is responsible for 60% of the city’s harmful emissions, with more than half of all vehicles over a decade old and over a third running on diesel. Pollution from large thermal power plants and illegal waste burning in surrounding areas adds to the toxic mix, contributing to dangerous levels of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and ground-level ozone - especially during the increasingly hotter summer months.

Moreover, in 2024, Bucharest experienced its hottest year on record, with an average temperature of 27.43°C, nearly 6°C above the historical norm. Combined with the fact that nearly 80% of the city is paved or built over, this extreme heat is intensifying the urban heat island effect and reducing natural cooling.

The Romanian capital also continues to lose vital green space: since 1990, Bucharest has lost over 500 hectares of urban vegetation, and today has just 0.88 trees per resident - far below the EU recommendation of three trees per capita, the report shows.

While only 60% of apartments and 55% of houses are located within one kilometre of a park, construction continues to rise rapidly. Over 268,000 housing units have been built between 2010 and 2023, often without sufficient infrastructure or green buffers.

Meanwhile, the city’s transition to sustainable mobility remains stalled. Only 1% of residents use bicycles, just 1.25% of registered vehicles are electric, and public transport needs substantial improvements.

In addition, according to the same source, waste management remains a critical issue. Of the nearly 564,000 tons of waste produced annually, only 42% is treated, with the rest going to landfills. Selective collection is poorly implemented, and urban agriculture is nearly absent, leaving Bucharest heavily reliant on external food sources. The city’s circular economy efforts remain largely theoretical.