UK government publishes plan to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels

The plan comes in response to court challenges brought against the government by environmental group ClientEarth. At the end of April Mr Justice Garnham ruled that the government had to publish its draft plan before the 8 June general election, with the final policy to be released by 31 July 2017. 

The latest draft follows the December 2015 publication of the UK Air Quality Plan. In November 2016 the High Court ruled this plan failed to meet the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010, which transposed EU directives into UK law. 

The UK is currently failing to meet the statutory obligation for the amount of NO2 around roads, with 37 of the 43 air quality monitoring zones exceeding the annual mean limit for NO2 emissions in 2015.

Under the draft plan, released on 5 May (86-page / 1.6MB PDF), the government proposes a series of measures designed to tackle the problem.

These include mandating local authorities to implement 'clean air zones' as quickly as possible; mandating Highways England, the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to tackle air pollution on the road network; and introducing additional funding to accelerate the use of hydrogen and electric vehicles.

The plan proposes a review of the information provided to car buyers about fuel consumption and emissions, and the government will also consult on regulatory changes to support the use of electric and other 'alternatively-fuelled' commercial vehicles.

As the greater London area has the highest levels of NO2 exceedance in the UK the plan includes a series of measures specifically addressing the capital's emissions. These include the introduction of low emission neighbourhoods, banning new diesel taxis, and focusing on walking, cycling and public transport. 

The plan is accompanied by a consultation document (27-page / 575KB PDF) asking stakeholders for their views on the government proposals and whether they will help address the problem of NO2 emissions. The consultation period closes on 15 June. 

The government previously flagged several elements of the proposals, such as the introduction of clean air zones. Meanwhile the Scottish government published a consultation on its draft climate change plan in January this year, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 66%.