Government’s long awaited Clean Air Strategy, which published yesterday, has received a luke warm welcome from the transport sector.
The strategy acknowledges that road transport, shipping, aviation and rail are responsible for 50% of nitrogen oxide emissions. But it also points out levels of such emissions at the roadside have fallen by around a quarter between 2010 and 2016 and “are at their lowest level since records began”.
The strategy – which is out for consultation until 14 August – appears light on new policies for tackling road pollution but makes major pledges around cleaning up emissions from other sources including the home and farming.
These include a commitment to prohibit the sale of the most polluting domestic fuels and the introduction of a new national code to control ammonia emissions on farms.
The study promises that Government will “consider the impact that road infrastructure has on air pollution” and points out that the Road Investment Strategy includes a £100M fund for work to tackle air quality concerns associated with existing and new road infrastructure.
Efforts to clean up tailpipe emissions, banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in 2040 and the development of new regulations for particulate emissions from vehicle tyres and brakes are also being taken forward, it says.
On the railways, alternative fuels being tested include hydrogen fuel cells for trains. In terms of freight the Government will encourage a shift from moving goods by road to rail and look to promote zero emission urban deliveries.
Environmental lawyer Client Earth’s chief executive James Thornton said: “We’ve long been calling for a comprehensive air pollution plan for everything from cars to cows but at first glance, there seems to be a transport shaped hole in the Government’s approach to the problem.
“While the Government’s focus on air quality from different sources is welcome, road transport is still the main source of illegal air pollution in our towns and cities. We need a national network of clean air zones to take the most polluting vehicles out of the most polluted areas.”
Campaign for Better Transport campaigner Bridget Fox added: “While we welcome action on pollution across the board, transport remains a vital area to tackle and that means fewer cars, not just newer cars. Cutting traffic, as well as greening the fleet, must be a central plank of any effective air quality strategy.
“We can’t wait another 20 years or more to get a grip on roadside pollution: the Government should seize this opportunity to bring the end date for new diesel and petrol vehicle sales forward from 2040 to at least 2030.”
A CIHT spokesman said: “We welcome the Government’s recognition of the danger caused by air pollution, and the role transportation has in improving the air we breathe.”
But the spokesman added: “We believe that simply minimising the consequences does not go far enough. In a recent letter to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government James Brokenshire we highlighted the need for better planning and transport integration enabling us to create more walkable and cycle friendly cities to make a real difference.”
Local Government Association environment spokesman Martin Tett said: “If the Government’s air quality plans are to be successful, they not only need to be underpinned by local flexibility and sufficient funding but also accompanied by robust national action.
“It is also important that councils have the powers to further tackle air pollution, particularly with regard to clean air zones as well as expanded road and traffic measures. If we’re to truly tackle air pollution, we need Government support to enable us to deliver effective local plans, and robust national action to help the country transition to low emission vehicles and power generation.”
(Photo: A Lloyd)
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