Experts call for new Clean Air Act
A new report concludes that the UK needs a new Clean Air Act to prevent illness and deaths caused poor air quality. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) authored the report which focuses on emissions from transport and calls for coherent monitoring of transport emissions so informed targets can be set.
The first Clean Air Act was introduced in the 1950s to tackle London smog, but pollution is on the rise across the UK, particularly in cities. The UK has yet again been brought to task by the European Commission which issued a ‘final warning’ January 2018 over the UK’s failure to meet pollution standards. There are fines for non-compliance.
The IMechE points out that a new Clean Air Act should help the 71% of local authorities which missed their 2017 air quality targets.
The IMechE report reflects the campaign by BESA for buildings to be ‘Safe Havens’ from poor outdoor air quality, with ventilation playing a major role in ensuring that occupant health is optimised.
