Why Has the UK Government Taken So Long to Release Air Pollution Plans?

Despite being dragged through the courts several times by environmental law firm ClientEarth, the UK government postponed releasing their plans to tackle air pollution for as long as legally possible. The Tories had initially hoped to delay the publication of the documents until after the General Election next month, however a High Court ruling forced them to outline their strategy last week.

The belated plans, years in the making, were met with almost universal disapproval and disappointment. Opponents of the government say they are prioritising public opinion above public health, while environmentalists complain they are shirking their responsibility towards curbing the UK’s terrible air quality issues.

A serious problem

Air pollution throughout the UK has been a problem for many years now, especially in the capital. London has fallen afoul of EU health regulations for several years running, incurring hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of fines and endangering the lives of those who call the city home.

In 2013, the introduction of Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) sought to curb harmful emissions from power plants and other industrial sources, but the fumes from passenger cars, lorries and buses still spew a vast amount of pollution into our airways. Diesel engines have come under particular fire for the exorbitant amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that they emit, notwithstanding having fewer carbon emissions than their petrol counterparts.

Dragging their heels

Despite the seriousness of the issue – it’s estimated that air pollution kills as many as 40,000 people per year – the Conservatives have repeatedly sought to sweep the topic under the carpet. After blaming the endorsement of diesel vehicles under the previous Labour government and publishing a series of lacklustre measures, they have been taken to court on several occasions by ClientEarth, including a Supreme Court hearing back in 2015.

Most recently, the Tories attempted to delay publishing a new and supposedly improved plan to tackle the problem until after the election on June 8^th, claiming it was in breach of “purdah” rules. However, the High Court threw out their appeal and forced them to release the document before May 9^th. They finally published the Draft Air Quality Plan last week to widespread criticism.

“Toothless and woefully inadequate”

Critics say the draft does not contain any concrete information about where charges for polluting vehicles will be applicable, how much they will be or whether scrappage schemes for diesel engines will be introduced. As a result, they have been met with universal scorn by environmentalists and rival politicians alike.

“The plan looks much weaker than we had hoped for,” commented James Thornton, prosecuting lawyer for ClientEarth. “The court ordered the government to take this public health issue seriously and while the government says that pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health, we will still be faced with illegal air quality for years to come under these proposals.”  

Greenpeace’s chief British scientist Doug Parr was equally critical of the draft. “This a half-baked plan that puts poll ratings before people’s health,” he said. “The only real winners are the car makers who, despite misleading customers about their cars’ real emissions and causing this mess in the first place are getting off scot-free.”

Meanwhile, the London Mayor Sadiq Khan – who represents Labour – called the proposals “toothless and woefully inadequate”.

ClientEarth are reportedly considering taking the government back to court again in a bid to make them confront the problem with a more serious and realistic approach.