Government ordered to publish Air Quality Plans – Friends of the Earth reaction
Friends of the Earth welcomes today’s High Court decision to order the government to publish its draft Air Quality Plans after the local elections, putting people’s health before political process.
The government was mandated to produce a draft Air Quality Plan for the UK by 24 April after it was twice taken to court over the illegal levels of pollution in the country. However, the government applied to delay publication until well after the general election; citing the fact that it would insert “controversy into the election” as reason to delay.
The government has now also been ordered to publish its final Air Quality Plan by the original date at the end of July.
The UK has consistently failed to comply with legal limits for the deadly gas NO2 and air pollution leads to 40,000 early deaths each year in the UK.
Friends of the Earth has set out its plan for clean air everywhere, outlining the steps government should include in its final Air Quality Plan to deal with the air pollution crisis.
Friends of the Earth is calling on government to put in place:
- A plan to end illegal pollution in 2018
- A diesel scrappage scheme to help people shift to clean vehicles
- Changes to road tax to deter diesel use
- A comprehensive network of plug-in points for electric vehicles by 2025
- Huge investment in public transport, walking and cycling routes
- A new Clean Air Act for the whole country to curb all types of air pollution.
Jenny Bates, Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner, said:
“The High Court’s welcome decision today to insist the government publishes its draft Air Quality Plan after the local elections means that protecting the nation’s health has rightly been placed above political process.
“With 40,000 early deaths each year in the UK from air pollution, every delay in action costs lives. This is why it’s great news that the final Air Quality Plan will still be published on time.”
For press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
