Call for ‘smog’ law to tackle emissions
Legislation equivalent to that introduced in response to London’s Great Smog in the 1950s is urgently needed now to reduce the effects of harmful emissions on public health, engineers say.
LEGISLATION EQUIVALENT to what was introduced in response to London’s Great Smog in the 1950s is urgently needed now to reduce the effects of harmful emissions on public health, according to a leading group of engineers.
With 71 per cent of local authorities having missed air quality targets for 2017, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers today publishes a new report warning the UK needs a modern Clean Air Act to address emissions across all forms of transport.
Air pollution causes one in ten of all deaths globally and although councils in the UK are taking steps to introduce Clean Air Zones, the group is adamant that stringent new laws are needed to secure changes that would protect against associated health problems such as slow development of children’s lungs and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly.
The group wants a new national scheme to help set informed emissions targets by monitoring different transport types, and says incentives should be set to encourage freight deliveries outside of peak hours and the phasing-out of diesel cars and trains. It also calls for the Government to work with Network Rail to deliver complete electrification of main rail lines between principal cities and ports, while assessments should be made of emerging technologies for carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle, including the procurement of parts and fuel.
The report recommends funding research into emissioncutting measures for different modes of transport, an awareness campaign about the benefits of lower-emission transport and trials to assess the levels and effects of exposure to pollutants on commuters and railway staff, and in railway stations, ports, airports and bus stations.
Philippa Oldham, the report’s lead author, said: “Individuals breathe in 20kg of air every day and because we can’t see it, we don’t know about the harmful particles it contains.
“Regular commuters encounter air pollution twice a day up to 250 days a year. Even railway stations have relatively high levels of air pollution from diesel.”
She listed Leeds and Sheffield among major railway stations where there are a high numbers of diesel-operated trains.
As part of a Clean Air Zone in Leeds, it is proposed that the most polluting buses and lorries are charged £100 a day and taxis £12.50 a day to use all roads within the Leeds outer ring road.
In York, a Clean Air Zone featuring a single, ultra-low emissions standard for most local bus services will be considered by the city council this week.
Explaining it was time to act, Ms Oldham said: “In the 1950s, doctors kick-started a national movement on the risks of smoking; there is a need to start doing the same with air quality, to encourage people to drive less and use public transport, walk and cycle more.”
A Government spokesperson said: “Air pollution has improved significantly since 2010, but we recognise there is more to do which is why we have put in place a £3.5bn plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions. We will also end the sale of conventional new diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040, and this year we will publish a comprehensive clean air strategy which will set out further steps to tackle air pollution.”