Clean Air and the Environment Bill Clause 2 - environmental targets: particulate matter

The Healthy Air Campaign (HAC) advocates for the inclusion of Lords amendment 3 in the Environment Bill to set a legal target for PM2.5 air pollution of 10 µg/m3 by 2030. The briefing argues that current UK legal limits are double the 2005 WHO guidelines and that achieving the stricter target is feasible based on technical analysis. It highlights the severe public health impacts of PM2.5, including an estimated 40,000 premature deaths annually in the UK, and notes the economic burden of over £20bn per year. The document emphasizes that the UK risks losing its global leadership in air quality as the USA and EU move toward stricter standards.

• The Healthy Air Campaign (HAC) is calling for the adoption of Lords amendment 3, which would mandate a legal target to reduce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to 10 µg/m3 by 2030 at the latest.
• Current UK legal limits for PM2.5 are twice as high as the 2005 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and progress in reducing this pollutant has recently stagnated.
• Air pollution is linked to approximately 40,000 premature deaths every year in the UK, with PM2.5 posing a significant risk as it can enter the bloodstream and remain there for several months.
• Technical evidence suggests the 10 µg/m3 target is achievable across most of the UK by 2030, though central London is identified as the area most at risk of exceeding this limit.
• The economic impact of air pollution in the UK is substantial, with social costs to individuals and the health service exceeding £20bn annually, and 3 million working days lost each year.

APA

ClientEarth (2021). Clean Air and the Environment Bill Clause 2 - environmental targets: particulate matter. https://www.clientearth.org/media/e23bh332/environment-bill-house-of-commons-healthy-air-campaign-briefing-october-2021.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Clean Air and the Environment Bill Clause 2 - environmental targets: particulate matter. 2021. https://www.clientearth.org/media/e23bh332/environment-bill-house-of-commons-healthy-air-campaign-briefing-october-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Clean Air and the Environment Bill Clause 2 - environmental targets: particulate matter |date=20 October 2021 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/e23bh332/environment-bill-house-of-commons-healthy-air-campaign-briefing-october-2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2021clean, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Clean Air and the Environment Bill Clause 2 - environmental targets: particulate matter}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/e23bh332/environment-bill-house-of-commons-healthy-air-campaign-briefing-october-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }