Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
3
Recommendation
Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi…
Accepted in Part
Many of the areas with the highest levels of social deprivation are also the most exposed to air pollution and this link is also more pronounced for people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Further research is urgently needed to fully understand the link between poor air quality and covid-19, which the …
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Many of the areas with the highest levels of social deprivation are also the most exposed to air pollution and this link is also more pronounced for people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Further research is urgently needed to fully understand the link between poor air quality and covid-19, which the Government has now accepted. However, notwithstanding the causal link between air quality and covid-19 mortality and morbidity, there was already a strong, established, case for taking action to reduce health inequalities caused and exacerbated by air pollution. That the communities most affected are often those that make the smallest contribution to the problem increases the moral case for action. Reducing long-term health inequalities will require both ‘across the board’ and targeted measures. Defra, working with the Department of Health and Social Care and local health partners, should amend the Clean Air Strategy to include measures to reduce the long-term health inequalities associated with air pollution.
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to addressing health inequalities through new PM2.5 targets in the Environment Bill, aiming to improve air quality for everyone and deliver public health benefits across the country, involving multiple government departments and local authorities.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
7
Recommendation
Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi…
Accepted in Part
Alongside the PM2.5 target, the Secretary of State should use his discretionary powers in the Bill to set additional long-term air quality targets to reduce NO2, PM10, SO2, NMVOCs and ammonia. The Government should also commit to a long-term funding structure for local authorities to underpin their new duties in …
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Alongside the PM2.5 target, the Secretary of State should use his discretionary powers in the Bill to set additional long-term air quality targets to reduce NO2, PM10, SO2, NMVOCs and ammonia. The Government should also commit to a long-term funding structure for local authorities to underpin their new duties in the Bill.
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Government response AI summary
The government states its immediate focus for target setting is PM2.5, citing existing national emission reduction commitments for other pollutants rather than setting additional long-term targets in the Bill. However, it details significant existing and increased funding for local authorities to tackle air pollution, including …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
10
Recommendation
Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi…
Accepted in Part
Government and the public sector at all levels must lead by example on air quality if they are asking businesses and individuals to make changes. There are numerous examples of that already happening in the NHS, local government and other sectors, with some public bodies, for instance seeking to minimise …
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Government and the public sector at all levels must lead by example on air quality if they are asking businesses and individuals to make changes. There are numerous examples of that already happening in the NHS, local government and other sectors, with some public bodies, for instance seeking to minimise emissions from their own vehicle fleets and their suppliers. This should become standard across the public sector. This would contribute to the Government’s drive to support a Green Recovery discussed in Chapter 5. The Clean Air Strategy should be updated to included measures to reduce air quality impacts from central and local government and other public bodies (directly and from procurement and supply chains). Given the other pressures on budgets, where necessary, extra Government funding should be made available to facilitate this. The Government should also update the Government Buying Standards (GBS) to extend the mandatory requirement to procure only zero tailpipe emissions vehicles, except in exceptional circumstances, across the whole of the public sector by 2025. The Government should also set out in their response to this report how many organisations covered by the existing GBS have used the exemption for exceptional circumstances and why. The Committee looks to HM Treasury to incentivise sustainable public and private transport.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the principle of public sector leadership in air quality, outlining commitments such as a 100% ultra-low emission central government car fleet by 2030 and extending Greening Government Commitments reporting to air pollutants. They will also explore strengthening public sector expectations via the …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
19
Recommendation
Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi…
Accepted in Part
Active travel schemes, and other local efforts to tackle air pollution, must benefit the communities most affected by air pollution, and focus on changing the behaviour of those who contribute most to the problem. They must also avoid undermining public transport. We recognise the efforts of many schools, parents and …
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Active travel schemes, and other local efforts to tackle air pollution, must benefit the communities most affected by air pollution, and focus on changing the behaviour of those who contribute most to the problem. They must also avoid undermining public transport. We recognise the efforts of many schools, parents and local councils to improve the air around schools and encourage active travel through introducing school streets. These should also be supported by reducing parking outside schools and measures to reduce idling and 20mph speed limits. It is likely that more schools would benefit from them as well as from more and better air quality monitoring to help them identify when air pollution is a problem. Where appropriate, temporary school streets introduced during the pandemic should be made permanent. The Government should be ambitious about increasing the number of school streets by working with local authorities, schools and civil society groups to develop a strategy to put them in place for every school where one would be appropriate, including measures to reduce parking and idling outside schools and the introduction of 20mph speed limits. This should be supported by an effective system of monitoring to help identify local exceedances of legal limits.
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights existing active travel initiatives and local efforts to make school streets permanent, commits to implementing moving traffic enforcement powers (with regulations underway and timing uncertain), and plans to publish a Transport Decarbonisation Plan in Spring 2021 to support related goals.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs