Conclusions and recommendations
1. The
air quality problem
2. Air
quality must be a higher priority for Government. Defra must raise
the profile of the issue by publicising the latest data on premature
deaths more widely and making clear the benefits of improving
air quality. (Paragraph 19)
3. The
costs of poor air quality
4. Good
air quality makes a key contribution to preventative healthcare.
The Government should ensure that local strategic partnerships
embed plans to deliver real improvements in local air quality.
(Paragraph 27)
5. The Government
must assess the most cost effective way of meeting mandatory EU
targets rather than relying only on a cost-benefit analysis of
possible actions. (Paragraph 35)
6. The Government's
assessment of the costs and benefits of action on air quality
does not account for all the health effects of poor air quality,
the damage to ecosystems and potential fines. The Government should
improve the assessment of the costs and benefits of better air
quality. The Government must therefore urgently:
- quantify the impact on morbidity
and the cost to the NHS of poor air quality;
- improve understanding of the health effects of
exposure to nitrogen dioxide;
- estimate the cost of the damage to ecosystems
and the environment from poor air quality;
- fund the research necessary to fill the gaps
in the evidence base; and
- take account of the likely fines from missed
EU targets in its air policy appraisal. (Paragraph 37)
7. Reshaping
policy
8. Better
public understanding of air quality issues is critical. The Government
must educate the public about the health risk from poor air quality
and about how they can limit their exposure and improve air quality.
Any campaign on air quality should raise awareness of the actions
people can take to reduce emissions of dangerous pollutants and
to reduce their exposure. (Paragraph 41)
9. Government must
raise the priority attached to air quality in all government departments
and provide better guidance on including air quality impacts in
policy appraisals. Only Defra and DfT are formally accountable
for air quality, under the Public Service Agreements; other departments
that contribute to the problem, including DCLG, DoH, DECC and
HMT, are not. Minsters must drive this from the top, introduce
measures to ensure this becomes routine practice and accept responsibility
for policies that conflict with air quality. (Paragraph 46)
10. Transport policy
must change dramatically if the UK is to meet future targets and
reduce exposure to air pollution. Much of this agenda is already
being driven by efforts to tackle climate change (like modal shift
and smarter travel choices) although some conflicts exist. In
addition to improving existing policies, the Government must explain
the role played by brake, tyre and road wear in generating particulate
matter and research the impact of road surface particulate matter
on air quality. (Paragraph 50)
11. The Government
must urgently explore how planning guidance can be strengthened
and applied to reduce air pollution. (Paragraph 54)
12. Local authorities
are key to improving air quality. The Government must raise the
profile of air quality with all local authorities, encourage the
sharing of best practice and ensure that the issue is given sufficient
attention across all areas of local authority responsibility,
not just within their environmental departments. (Paragraph 56)
13. 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.
The Government must ensure that research into the options for
such a framework is completed and published at the earliest opportunity.
Low emissions zones are costly and are only likely to be effectively
implemented on a longer timescale. They will not be necessary
in each local authority. What is needed is for all local authorities
to develop wide ranging strategies that reduce emissions and drive
down concentrations of key pollutants. Local authorities must
develop effective policies, closely linked to planning and coupled
with existing monitoring activities. (Paragraph 60)
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