Top Posts
Brazil launches COP30 accommodation platform after pressure from...
Pakistan’s deadly floods worsened by global warming: study
Putin decree allows Russia to increase greenhouse gas...
New study shows climate change cancelling major events
Tinubu appoints Majekodunmi new DG of National Council...
ICJ says countries to be held accountable for...
Report shows PR firm working for Shell wins...
Study shows climate change could make ‘droughts’ for...
Kano govt unveils climate change policy, to plant...
FG says desertification has disrupted livelihoods of over...
EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World
World

UK to scrap air pollution transparency rules among EU laws

by admineconai May 17, 2023
written by admineconai May 17, 2023
668

Latest reports suggest that laws to ensure that the government is transparent about how they plan to reduce harmful air pollution are among those to be scrapped in the EU retained law bill.

A climbdown by ministers over the bill is said to have reduced the number of EU regulations to be automatically removed from the statute books from 4,000 to 600, but key rules on air pollution are among those still expected to be removed.

The regulations being taken out of UK law impose a duty on the government to publish a pathway to meeting tight emissions targets by 2030 for five noxious pollutants. The rules also enforce the need to publicly consult on the plans to cut emissions.

But in the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018, these two regulations are to be removed from UK law by the end of the year if the bill, which is going through the House of Lords, is approved.

Read also: Climate change council, NSIA sign MoU on emissions regulations

Responding, Katie Nield, a clean air lawyer for ClientEarth, said: “They are proposing to snip out some quite critical elements that are there to make sure the targets are actually met. They want to remove the legal duty on government to have a plan to reduce the emissions, to frequently revise that plan and to publish it, and they want to remove the need to put that out to public consultation.

Speaking further, she said, “The duty to produce a pathway to meet the targets is a critical tool to make sure the government explains what it is doing and to hold them to account. It raises major alarm bells. It is hard to see how this move could be anything other than a strategy to skirt accountability.”

According to reports, the government’s pathway to reduce emissions had to be revised under the regulations this year because it was in breach of emission reduction targets for fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which is classified as a cause of cancer.

Climate change council, NSIA sign MoU on emissions regulationsThe pathway is also not on track to meet emissions reduction targets by 2030 for four out of the five air pollutants from transport, agriculture and industry – nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, PM2.5, ammonia and non-methane volatile organic compounds.

Air pollution is known to pose one of the greatest environmental risks to health, according to the World Health Organization, which estimates that in 2019 outdoor air pollution caused 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide

“The fact that the government will no longer have to publish its plan, revise it and consult on it in the context of their current plan not on track to meet the targets, is really concerning,” Nield was quoted as saying.

More than half of the 600 laws set to be removed by the end of the year relate to the environment. Greener UK, a coalition of environmental groups including the RSPB, National Trust and Friends of the Earth, called on the government to remove at least two of the laws due to be chopped – relating to water and air quality.

Story was adapted from the Guardian.

LawsPollutionScrapTransparencyUK
0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
admineconai

previous post
Climate change council, NSIA sign MoU on emissions regulations
next post
UN says plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040

Related Posts

Brazil launches COP30 accommodation platform after pressure from...

August 7, 2025

Pakistan’s deadly floods worsened by global warming: study

August 7, 2025

Putin decree allows Russia to increase greenhouse gas...

August 7, 2025

New study shows climate change cancelling major events

August 4, 2025

ICJ says countries to be held accountable for...

August 4, 2025

Report shows PR firm working for Shell wins...

July 30, 2025

Study shows climate change could make ‘droughts’ for...

July 30, 2025

UN agency says deadly floods show need for...

July 22, 2025

UN climate change director calls for urgent action...

July 18, 2025

Environmental activist dismisses CoP meetings on climate change...

July 18, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Bloglovin
  • Vimeo

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Eco-Nai+

EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World