The mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter sees a strong need for action in fighting against air pollution and has foreseen a long planning phase. In addition, the question is strengthened by the outstanding complaint of the German association for environmental protection (Deutschen Umwelthilfe – DUH) because of the non-compliance of limit values. . At the beginning of 2018, the DUH obtained again the payment of a penalty because the Clean Air Plan still does not contain effective measures for improving the air quality. Therefore, during the following year, possible measures and their positive effects on the urban air quality are to be debated, including the implementation of a blue environmental zone. Following the decision of the Federal Administrative Court of 28.02.2018, the situation in Munich was strengthened. The Mayor Dieter Reiter now wants to work together as quickly as possible with the Bavarian state government and arrive at a solution.
However, resistance to such projects do not come from political circles only, but also from BMW, the Munich-based car concern. BMW is more inclined to offer incentives for the purchase of cars with alternative propulsion techniques. On the other hand, in addition to the introduction of a blue environmental zone, the Green party is even going further and wants to ban SUVs from the city centre. Therefore, the debate in Munich is very versatile.

In 2017, Munich became the most polluted city with nitrogen dioxide in Germany. In the Bavarian state capital, the annual mean was 78 µg/m3.
In Munich, 5 measuring stations are currently operated by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment. The daily medium values reach up to 150% of the European limit values (40 µg/m3). The non-compliance of NOx-values is largely caused by Diesel vehicles. For this reason, Munich has already taken several initiatives. For example, DHL depots has now been introduced in the city centre, so to enable the delivery of goods by e-cars and electric scooters only. On the other side, the lack of significant measures such as the renewal of local traffic is criticized. Due to the high air pollution, Reiter, the mayor of Munich, plans as extensive measures as necessary. But he already announced that the implementation of traffic restriction zones would not be favored.