An estimated 12,000-13,000 people die each year as a result of air pollution. Our goal is to save these lives and to improve the quality of life for Hungarians, to increase the number of years they get to enjoy in good health. It is also important to point out that air pollution is to a large extent an issue of poverty: We need to ensure that the poor do not become the victims in the struggle for clean air.
The most important air pollutants are particulate matters and nitrogenoxides. Since a large portion of these are generated by residential heating, this should also be one of our main areas of focus in the effort to combat air pollution.
The production and use in heating of lignite needs to be banned. To support the poor who use solid fuels for heating, we need to provide wood that is produced in sustainable forestry. The funding provided for socially-assisted firewood should not be conditional on the number of residents who live in the given municipality.
In the case of households that have access to gas heating but opt instead for heating with solid fuels for financial reasons, the state should temporarily offer some form of support to help them return to gas heating.
You can view the full report of policy proposals in the following link:
https://staging.egyensulyintezet.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ei_proposal_buildings.pdf
