The Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 require the UK to undertake air quality assessment to assess legal compliance against air pollutant concentration limit and target values and report the findings and associated data on an annual basis. This assessment is done for all local authorities not just those establishing Clean Air Zones.
At a local level, the most immediate challenge on air quality is nitrogen dioxide concentrations around roads. The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations sets out how compliance with existing legal targets can be achieved in the shortest possible time. The plan is supported by a £3.5 billion investment into air quality and cleaner transport and outlines how councils with the worst levels of air pollution at busy road junctions and hotspots must take robust action in the shortest time possible.
Between 2007 and 2019, the annual mean Nitrogen Dioxide concentration at roadside sites reduced by an average of 1.8 µg/m3 each year. This reduction was observed at most long-running monitoring sites across the UK and is a possible consequence of the large reduction in road transport emissions of NO2 over the same period in the UK, as newer vehicles subject to stricter emissions standards enter the transport fleet.
To help affected local authorities take immediate steps to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions and meet the Government’s obligations, more than £880 million of support has been made available. Alongside this, £2 billion of investment is being made in cycling and walking over the course of this Parliament – the largest ever boost for active travel.
The Transport Decarbonisation Plan, first published in 2021, is a step change in the breadth and scale of ambition to reduce transport’s greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero. The plan sets out a roadmap to improve public transport and increase support for active travel, which will make them the natural first choice for people across the UK. To this end, commitments include ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2035, creating a net zero rail network by 2050, ensuring net zero domestic aviation emissions by 2040 and leading the transition to green shipping.