Welsh Government publishes Clean Air Plan

Air Quality

The Welsh Government has outlined the measures it will take to improve the country’s air quality under its Clean Air Plan for Wales: Healthy Air, Healthy Wales. Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health and also has effects on biodiversity and the natural environment, said the Welsh Government. It is concerned that poor air quality  contributes to a reduced life expectancy – often having a pronounced impact on the most vulnerable, such as the very young or very old, and those with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.

The plan links initiatives that encourage more people to walk, cycle, or use public transport complementing the Active Travel Act and the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Initiative.

Measures include:

• Investment in active travel infrastructure, improving rail services and supporting decarbonisation through  a zero tailpipe exhaust emission taxi and bus fleet by 2028.
• Investigating measures to support a reduction in personal vehicle use such as road user charging, Clean Air Zones and/or Low Emission Zones.
• Implementing electric vehicle charging strategy and supporting an increase in the proportion of vehicles which are ultra-low emission and promoting a shift to ULEVs for waste collection.