Proposals to cut air pollution, reduce breaches of air quality objectives and improve human health have been published for consultation. Air pollution is currently estimated to reduce the life expectancy of everyone in the UK by eight months, however measures outlined by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of their review of the UK air strategy could reduce this figure to five months, by 2020. Originally published in 2000, the strategy set health standards for nine air pollutants, and despite significant reductions in the emissions of many of them, air pollution still harms health and causes environmental problems.
Among the new proposals are tighter European vehicle emissions standards, incentives for cleaner vehicles and emissions reductions from small combustion plants and ships. Also outlined is a new programme aimed at controlling fine particles, which shifts focus away from pollution hotspots towards a more cost-effective approach of reducing exposure levels for the general population. Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said, that "although our air is cleaner than at any time since the industrial revolution, pollution is not declining as quickly as expected and we need to move faster and take further measures to move us closer to meeting our objectives."
This updated strategy should be published by the end of the year.
