In Croatia, around 3,500 people die annually due to polluted air, and the cities most affected by this are Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, Sisak and Kutina, according to Aljoša Duplić, director of the Institute for Environmental and Nature Protection.
As he stated in an interview for Hina, published on the Index portal, the continental part of Croatia is under the greatest pressure during the winter, while the problem is less in the summer.
“It is estimated that in Croatia over 3,500 people die prematurely every year due to poor air quality, while in Europe alone, according to the estimates of the European Environmental Protection Agency, around 300,000 die,” Duplić pointed out.
According to him, in Croatia, in 2023, Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, Sisak and Kutina were under the greatest pressure of air pollution by floating particles.
“We must be aware that we have a very old vehicle fleet. The average age of cars in Croatia is between 13 and 14 years, and we also have a very large number of diesel vehicles. The number of vehicles in Zagreb is continuously growing, and traffic is one of the main sources of air pollution. There should act,” said Duplić.
As he stated, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Fund launched a program to improve air quality this year worth more than 220 million euros.
According to the plan, projects for zero-emission vehicles will be financed for those with high mileage, such as taxi services or delivery vehicles, in the amount of 90 million euros, of which 45 million euros will be non-refundable and the remainder through favorable loans.