About air quality
This website is a resource to provide public information on air quality and climate change in Gibraltar. It was created as an easily accessible tool to display historical and near real-time monitoring data from Gibraltar’s Air Quality Monitoring Network, dispersion modelling assessments and policy analysis. Much of this information was driven by mandatory requirements under the European Directives. Despite the UK and Gibraltar leaving the European Union, the Gibraltar remains closely aligned with European rules and processes. This legislation on ambient air quality requires monitoring and reporting of air quality on an annual basis.
Prior to 2008, this has been performed according to The Air Quality Framework Directive (1996/62/EC) and the four Daughter Directives 1999/30/EC, 2000/69/EC, 2002/3/EC and 2004/107/EC. From June 2008, the Air Quality Directive (AQD) (2008/50/EC), was in force, which consolidated the first three Daughter Directives, and has been transposed into Regulations in Gibraltar. The fourth Daughter Directive (DD4), 2004/107/EC, remained in force. The AQD and DD4 were transposed into Gibraltar law by the Environment (Air Quality Standards) Regulations 2010 and these remain the foundation of Gibraltar’s air quality requirements following exit from the EU.
Air Quality Plan
As a result of exceedances of limit values for PM10 and NO2 specified in the legislation, Gibraltar formally applied in 2010 for time extensions (under Article 22 of the AQD) to the 24-hr PM10 limit value and the annual NO2 limit value. The detail of these applications is provided on the Government of Gibraltar website. The time extension application for the NO2 annual mean limit value for Gibraltar was granted by the European Commission, expiring at the end of 2014.
The Gibraltar Air Quality Plan (a formal part of the time extension applications) - the policy roadmap documenting measures the Government of Gibraltar put in place to address NO2 and PM10 is available to download (as .pdf).
Near-real time data
Latest up-to-date hourly measurements of air pollution are reported to the general public using an easy to understand ten-point index (1-10) system divided into four bands. The bands range from LOW to VERY HIGH air pollution with associated advice on health effects and what precautions may be taken to protect health. View details of the air pollution index.
Climate data
Since 2022, the website has also provided climate change focussed data that is compiled on behalf of the Government in support of its Net zero efforts. This information is available from the Climate data tab. Emissions inventory data is available here for multiple years as well as projected emissions forecasts
