UK Faces Fines for Missing Air Quality Targets

Air Quality - Fifth Report of Session 2009–10 (32 page pdf, House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, Mar.22, 2010)

Also discussed here: Britain. A breath of foul air (The Independent, Mar. 21, 2010)

Also discussed here: UK air pollution killing thousands each year (TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk, Mar.22,2010)

Key Quotes:



“Poor air quality reduces the life expectancy of everyone in the UK by an average of seven to eight months and up to 50,000 people a year may die prematurely because of it…greater gains in life expectancy could be achieved by tackling air quality than are currently being realised by efforts to eliminate road deaths and passive smoking combined.“

“2007 Air Quality Strategy estimates that the health impact of man-made particulate air pollution experienced in the UK in 2005 cost between £8.5 billion and £20.2 billion a year.“

“The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against the UK for failing to comply with the air quality standard for PM10…The UK now also faces proceedings from the EU for failing to meet the limits for NO2 that came into force in January 2010.“

“Air pollution from road transport has fallen by 50% since 1990 but traffic has increased by a fifth and the number of licensed vehicles increased by 77% between 1980 and 2007, from 19 to 34 million.“

“Developing a national framework for low emissions zones would raise the profile of the air quality challenge and help drive down emissions in our cities…Local authorities must develop effective policies, closely linked to planning and coupled with existing monitoring activities.”



“Government departments do not seem fully to understand how their policies affect air quality, the impact poor air quality has, and its cost to the economy”

“The UK should be ashamed of its poor air quality and the harm this causes. It is likely to breach EU air quality directives. The fines for doing this could be significant.“

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