Air pollution and promotion of low-emission vehicles: A case study of Bulgaria

Abstract

Similarly, to freedom of movement, clean air is a human right of every citizen of the European Union. Through numerous directives and initiatives, the European Union has taken a course of action towards mitigating climate change and air pollution. As its full member, Bulgaria has pledged to follow this course of action. However, despite signing all pro-environmental agreements, the country falls behind in their implementation. Being the poorest member of the European Union with the most polluted air, Bulgaria is faced with numerous financial, legislative and environmental challenges. After examining the substantial contribution of the road transport sector to air pollution in the European Union and Bulgaria, as well as its deleterious health impact, I chose to focus on low-emission vehicles as a possible solution to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. I have conducted a research into Bulgarians’ opinions of low-emission vehicles and their role in the future car market. After discussing the results, I give my recommendations for policies that could be adopted by the Bulgarian government to promote the use of low emission vehicles.