Air pollution report: doing well but must try harder
● Transport, farms and home heating need urgent action to cut emissions
Scotland is performing well on air quality by both European and global standards, an independent review has found.
However, the report has highlighted a number of areas requiring urgent action to cut pollution.
The panel, chaired by Professor Campbell Gemmell, found that concentrations and emissions of most major pollutants continued to fall as a result of action taken to date.
But bigger efforts are needed to clean up transport, the biggest contributor, and agriculture, while household heating such as coal fires and woodburning stoves need tighter controls.
Recommendations include a greater push towards greener vehicles and improvements in public transport, as well as tighter regulation and management of farm fertilisers and manures.
The report also advises that the impact of new building developments on air quality should be considered before getting the go-ahead.
“Good progress has been made but much more is needed,” said Professor Gemmell.
“Particulates and nitrogen oxides from the transport sector as well as agricultural ammonia and domestic heating emissions remain major challenges and need targeted effort.thehealthimpactsofair pollution are potentially severe and we must double down on taking coherent action.
“The report stresses co-ordinated effort across local and Scottish government to provide leadership and practical support to move us forward to a cleaner, healthier future.”
Evidence shows breathing polluted air can lead to heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and lung cancer, as well as exacerbating asthma.
Dirty air has been identified as the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, causing 40,000 deaths annually – 2,500 in Scotland.
The review, carried out by a multi-stakeholder steering group, was commissioned by the Scottish Government to assess progress since the Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy was produced in 2015, and to recommend actions over the next three to five years.
Environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth Scotland was part of the panel.
Director Richard Dixon urged ministers to adopt the “bolder ideas” in the review.
Headded:“thereviewpoints the finger of blame for most air pollution problems squarely atroadtrafficandcallsforlow Emission Zones to be up and running faster, for new developments to be refused if they would cause new air pollution problems and for a steep phase-out in building new trunk roads.”