Air quality issues on the agenda

The government is required to take urgent action to tackle nitrogen dioxide levels from transport after a Supreme Court ruling last month. The measures are likely to target diesel vehicles, which are a major contributor to NO2. The new plans must be submitted to the European Commission by the end of the year.

Andy Edwards from Create, Bristol City Council’s environment centre, says: “The evidence of the massive public health impact of poor air quality is compelling and the Supreme Court case should provide a call to action for UK government. With the continued failure of vehicles, in particular diesel, to meet Euro emissions standards it has never been more important to implement sustainable transport policies in UK cities.”

Edwards points to a Bristol council report that found 188 deaths of Bristol residents were attributable to air pollution in 2010. “Additionally, there were 52 respiratory hospital admissions and 42 cardiovascular admissions with the cost of these health impacts estimated at £83m per annum,” he says.

The Environmental Audit Committee’s report, also published last year, said its recommendations had not been implemented by the government despite poor air quality costing the lives of at least 29,000 people a year. “The EAC report stated that the costs of poor air quality that are used to develop policy are outdated. Despite an ever growing body of evidence of health impacts, and the £9-20bn a year costs of poor air quality, it is still not seen as a priority across government.”

Air quality will be discussed at Cycle City Active City