UK breaches annual air pollution limits before the end of January: reaction from Friends of the Earth

Press release
Live air pollution data shows that less than one month into 2018 London has once again breached annual legal limits for the entire year
  Published:  30 Jan 2018    |      2 minute read

Air pollution rules set by the EU say that sites must not exceed 200 micrograms of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) per cubic metre of air more than 18 times in a year. As was the case in in 2017, this limit has been breached in London in January, with Brixton Road seeing NO2 levels reaching dangerously high levels for the 19th time yesterday (31st January)

Oliver Hayes, campaigner for clean air at Friends of the Earth, said:

“The frequency and severity of these pollution spikes shows we’ve still got a long way to go in cleaning up our air, despite some good initiatives by the Mayor.

“Tougher action is needed to protect more Londoners, sooner. The Mayor should beef up the planned Ultra Low Emissions Zone to include all vehicles in an enlarged Zone so it protects people throughout the capital, not just inner London. Road-building schemes like the Silvertown Tunnel must be scrapped.

“But central Government action is also critical. A decent scrappage scheme to compensate diesel drivers must go hand in hand with a network of genuinely effective Clean Air Zones across the country. Instead, ministers are actively deterring all but a handful of local authorities pursuing Clean Air Zones, despite their own modelling telling them they’re the most effective solution for cleaner air.

“It’s high time we reimagined our cities so that people – not traffic– come first. Our health, our sense of community, and our wellbeing depend on it.”

Air pollution is deadly and it is causing significant harm to the health of people right across the UK; and even sites that are not breaching the legal hourly limits set by EU for NO2 can still have dangerous levels of polluted air. Action to deal with this invisible killer isn’t happening quickly enough. Friends of the Earth is calling for urgent government action to quickly and drastically improve air quality including:

  • A network of Clean Air Zones across the country (more of them, and to be introduced sooner than the government proposes) to help people breathe more easily. Effective Clean Air Zones will lead to fewer cars, safer streets, more welcoming neighbourhoods and, vitally, healthier lungs for our children
  • While an Ultra-Low Emissions Zone has been proposed in London; this must cover all vehicles across the whole of the city rather than just Inner London, and come into effect far sooner than the currently planned date, so that all Londoners can benefit from cleaner air 
  • Investment in better public transport, more walking and cycling facilities and a national, government-led scrappage scheme to help people move away from the most polluting vehicles

Friends of the Earth is also inviting everyone across the UK to get involved in improving air quality in their local area. By ordering your own Clean Air Kit you can test the air you breathe every day and help to tackle air pollution.