Air quality
National Air Quality Strategy, national policy and legislation
The following key pieces of legislation and policies have been introduced in recent years.
National Air Quality Strategy
The government published its Clean Air Strategy in January 2019. The strategy sets out how the government will:
- protect the nation's health
- protect the environment
- secure clean growth and innovation
- reduce emissions from transport, homes, farming and industry
- monitor progress
The strategy seeks to strengthen, simplify and update the legislative framework that applies at a local level, in order to help reduce local concentrations of air pollution.
GOV.UK: Clean Air Strategy 2019
The Environment Act 2021
Following the UK's departure from the EU, the government introduced a new framework of environmental protection with the publication of the Environment Act 2021.
It included two national air quality targets:
- a 35% reduction in population exposure by 2040 (compared to a base year of 2018)
- a maximum annual mean concentration level of 10µg/m3 to be met across England by 2040
Environmental Improvement Plan 2023
A national Environmental Improvement Plan was published in January 2023. This builds on the Environment Act 2021 along with a previously introduced 25 Year Environment Plan.
The plan explains how the government will work with landowners, businesses and local communities to improve the environment along with targets to measure progress.
GOV.UK: Environmental Improvement Plan 2023
As a Council we are responsible for enforcing many of the laws set nationally.