Citizens of Skopje and Tetovo are exposed to significantly higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the air compared to those living in Western Europe, and polluted air kills around 2,800 citizens of North Macedonia annually, said the World Bank's Director for Kosovo and North Macedonia Massimiliano Paolucci at a conference in Skopje on air quality, the country's media reported.
„We have already adopted and are working on a specific program, which, in addition to gasification, also envisages cogeneration gas systems. We also plan to subsidize the return of citizens to central steam heating in settlements where there is one. Regarding urban transport, we plan for the government to deliver 100-120 eco-buses for urban transport in municipalities. "We are also working on other initiatives and projects," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment Izet Majiti, according to whom the main factors of air pollution are households that heat with coal and wood, industry and public transport.
During the heating season, Skopje is regularly in the top ten cities in the world with the most polluted air, and recently a large protest was held in the city center, the organizers of which insisted on urgent measures to ensure cleaner air for the city's residents and guests. Under the "EU for Clean Air" program, Skopje received six new eco-friendly buses, and tree planting is underway in the newly built park in Skopje, as well as in other cities with highly polluted air - Tetovo, Bitola, Kumanovo.