Belarus’ atmospheric emissions at historic low
23.10.2025
MINSK, 23 October (BelTA) – Belarus has managed to reduce emissions into the atmosphere by over 31,000 tonnes in the last ten years, BelTA learned from Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Sergei Maslyak as the Belarusian automobile manufacturer MAZ delivered the first Belarusian electric sanitation truck to the utility company ODO City Ecology.
In his opinion, atmospheric pollution is a topical problem for the entire world. It is particularly relevant in Belarus. “According to statistics data, the emission of pollutants into the atmospheric air totaled 865,000 tonnes in 2024. It was a historic low in the last five years. We’ve managed to reduce atmospheric emissions by over 31,000 tonnes in the last ten years thanks to efforts of the state, the private sector, enterprises, and organizations. Most of the emissions are generated by automobiles. The problem of emissions is an urgent one for a metropolis like Minsk. The city has a lot of automobiles. They alone account for about 82% of the total volume,” Sergei Maslyak noted.
He believes that electric transport is a relevant way of development. “More and more passenger electric vehicles appear in streets of our cities and towns every year. Electric vehicles are not an exception. While in 2017 the number of electric vehicles totaled only 70, by the end of the 2024 the figure had reached 24,000. According to the latest data, the number will reach 50,000 in late 2025 – early 2026. And the fact that today electric vehicles become part of the housing and utilities industry confirms it,” he stressed.
