CCHE Seminar Series: The German Diesel Ban Policy and its Impact on 𝑵𝑶𝟐 Emissions

The German Diesel Ban Policy and its Impact on 𝑵𝑶𝟐 Emissions

Narek Mirzoyan
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Friday October 6, 2023, 10am-12pm, HS Room 412 and Zoom

Abstract: Urban air pollution is a growing public health and environmental issue. We investigate the effectiveness of diesel traffic bans in reducing nitrogen dioxide (𝑁𝑂2) emissions in four German cities (Berlin, Darmstadt, Hamburg and Stuttgart) from 2012 to 2022. Each city has implemented similar policies to comply with the European Union’s 𝑁𝑂2 emission standards (yearly mean value of 40 𝜇g/𝑚3). With the help of the synthetic control method, we evaluate the effects of policies restricting diesel traffic on selected streets, street segments and urban areas. Our results indicate that the implementation of diesel traffic bans led to significant reductions in per capita 𝑁𝑂2 emissions of 25-60 𝜇g/𝑚3 in Darmstadt and Stuttgart. However, the policy appeared to have a limited effect in Berlin and Hamburg. The study suggests that policy effectiveness may be influenced by factors such as city size, pre-existing traffic patterns and the extent of diesel restrictions. In addition, our findings highlight the importance of tailoring policies to local conditions and underscore the value of using rigorous research methods when assessing the effectiveness of environmental policies.

Narek Mirzoyan is currently a PhD student/Research assistant at the Chair of Economic Policy at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) since October 2021. Narek pursued a second Master’s degree in politics, economics, and philosophy at the University of Hamburg. He also completed studies in labor economics at the Armenian State University of Economics. His main research interests are to evaluate the effectiveness of policies implemented by different institutions and to analyze the role of technology/ innovation in promoting growth.