It’s also been recommended by the International Energy Agency [1] as European countries seek ways to reduce their dependence on oil.

In a new analysis, the Clean Cities Campaign found that one single car-free day implemented in major European cities could save between 541 and 945 thousand barrels of oil. One weekly car-free day in all major EU and UK cities could therefore reduce the annual oil consumption from urban transport in Europe by around 3 to 5%. This is equivalent to the annual oil demand of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The research shows that this can be as good – if not better – than working from home three days a week.

And there’s more

Car-free days can be implemented quickly. They do not need new infrastructure to be built, or complex regulations to be designed.

This research clearly shows that car-free days are a sure fire way to get cities off oil very fast without any complicated infrastructure or policy change. They are among the best short-term measures that are immediately available, cheap and easy to implement. Cities should consider car-free days as a measure to make an immediate dent in oil consumption but can also deliver a quick drop in toxic air pollution which kills thousands of Europeans a year. Besides, they are a great way to demonstrate to the public what life can be like in cities when the roads are not dominated by cars. The article was first published on cleancitiescampaign.org

Read the full briefing.