Breathe Cities Report Features San Francisco as a Global Leader in Cutting Toxic Air Pollution

***PRESS RELEASE***

Breathe Cities Report Features San Francisco as a Global Leader in Cutting Toxic Air Pollution

San Francisco is the only North American city in the Breathe Report due to its significant efforts to reduce fine particulates and nitrogen dioxide from cars, trucks, and gas-powered appliances. 

San Francisco, CA – Today, the San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) celebrate another major environmental milestone for the City. A report released on March 11, 2026, titled Breathe Better: How leading cities have rapidly cut air pollution, found that San Francisco (the only North American city on the list) has reduced both PM2.5 and NO2 by nearly 25% between 2010 and 2024. The Breathe Better report highlights that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk in the world, disproportionately impacting low-income communities. Air pollution causes respiratory and cardiovascular disease, childhood asthma, and premature births. The good news is that significant progress is achievable, and San Francisco, alongside 18 other Asian and European cities, is leading the way and showing what is possible.

“San Francisco has long been a leader in climate action and a hub for innovative climate solutions, and our administration is continuing that legacy as San Francisco leads the way on cleaner air and healthier communities,” said Mayor Lurie. “I'm proud our city is receiving this recognition, and we will keep doing the hard work to keep our city clean and deliver results for San Franciscans.”

San Francisco’s inclusion in this report, and one of the main reasons why it is the only North American City on the list, is because of the City’s focus on reducing pollution in the two key sectors that comprise nearly 90% of the City’s emissions: transportation and buildings.

For public transportation, SFMTA continues to build on its long legacy of clean transportation with the expansion of Muni’s zero-emission and low-emission fleet.  Muni has relied on electric technology for more than a century through its light rail vehicles, iconic cable cars, trolleybuses and historic streetcars—all powered by 100% renewable hydroelectric energy from Hetch Hetchy. The agency has also been an early adopter of hybrid-electric buses, introducing them in 2007 as part of its broader commitment to transition to a fully fossil-fuel-free fleet. Added initiatives—including the agency’s Green Zones program, which operates hybrid buses in zero-emission battery mode in communities disproportionately affected by air pollution, and an ongoing pilot to test battery-electric buses on San Francisco’s steep terrain—underscore the City’s continued leadership in sustainable urban transportation. The Streets Division is also working to make San Francisco one of the best cities in the world for walking and biking, with new sidewalks and bike lane improvements throughout the City. In 2025, across 12 locations the total bike traffic counts were over 3 million, with bike share stations recording a record-breaking 3.9 million trips in San Francisco.

“Transportation is one of the most powerful tools cities have to fight climate change and improve public health. At the SFMTA, San Francisco’s progress on clean air builds on more than a century of electric transit—from our light rail vehicles and trolleybuses to the iconic cable cars powered by renewable Hetch Hetchy hydropower,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “By investing in reliable transit, cleaner vehicles and safer streets for walking and biking, we’re making it easier for people to choose sustainable ways to get around while improving air quality across our communities.”

While the City invests in its public transportation infrastructure, San Francisco is leading the country in electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Approximately 30% of new vehicle registrations in the City are electric. SF Environment has matched this rapid uptick of EVs with multiple off-street and on-street charging initiatives, more than tripling public charging options since 2016. As the City transitions to EVs on the roadways, it’s also transitioning its buildings. More and more buildings are going all-electric through the help of incentives and efficiency programs, eliminating and reducing sources of NO2 and PM2.5 emissions and improving health and air quality.

“San Francisco’s success in reducing air pollution is the result of years of effort to advance some of the strongest climate policies in the nation,” said San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman. “Since I joined the Board in 2018, I have had the opportunity to partner with SF Environment on several pieces of building electrification legislation, as well as efforts to expand access to Electric Vehicle Charging. It’s great to see efforts like these now bearing fruit in the form of improved air quality.”

 “San Francisco’s clean air milestone reflects years of coordinated work to expand EV charging, electrify buildings, and support cleaner transportation,” said Tyrone Jue, Director of the San Francisco Environment Department. “SF Environment helps align that work and turn climate goals into measurable results residents can feel in cleaner air, healthier homes, and lower pollution."

San Francisco’s ongoing air quality improvements reflect coordinated, data-backed action across City departments to advance the goals in the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). The work is grounded in the Citywide Air Quality Health Risk Assessment, which was conducted in 2020 with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAD). Using stationary and mobile air monitoring sources, combined with pollution dispersion models, the City developed the air pollutant exposure zones where actions can deliver the greatest local health benefits.

Breathe Cities is a global initiative delivered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clean Air Fund and C40 Cities, supporting cities to clean the air and enhance public health. To learn more and read the full report, go to breathecities.org. San Francisco is a member of C40 cities.

###