Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control
(asked on 9th January 2017) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she took to reduce nitrogen dioxide in the (a) agriculture, (b) transportation, (c) energy and (d) industrial sectors in the last 12 months.
The Government is committed to reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality. The UK has agreed legally binding UK targets to reduce emissions of key air pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 2020 (through the Gothenburg protocol) and 2030 (as part of the 2016 National Emission Ceilings Directive). These limits will be incorporated into UK legislation by the end of June next year.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one component of NOx. Emissions of NOx from different source sectors are available on the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory website at: naei.defra.gov.uk/data/data-selector?view=air-pollutants.
In the last 12 months, we have taken action to reduce NOx emissions in the transport, energy and industry sectors, as set out in the table below.
Sector | % Contribution to total NOx emissions (2014) | Steps taken to reduce emissions of NOx in past 12 months |
Agriculture | 0.02 | - No specific steps were taken in relation to agriculture |
Transport | 49 | - Consultation on draft Clean Air Zone Framework and supporting legislation closed on 9 December 2016; in parallel, we are working closely with local authorities on detailed design of zones - Government has committed >£2 billion since 2011 to support uptake of ultra low emission vehicles and green transport initiatives and support local authorities in taking action - In Autumn Statement, Chancellor announced further £290 million funding for ultra low emission vehicles; funding will be invested in projects including supporting electric vehicles, low emission buses and taxis, and alternative fuels - In October 2016, Government launched Air Quality Grant for 2016/2017 which will award at least £3 million to English local authorities seeking to improve local air quality including through transport |
Energy | 28 | - Defra is currently consulting on emission controls for new and existing diesel generators designed to protect local air quality and curb projected increase in NOx emissions from generators operating for energy market - Changes implemented to requirements on Large Combustion Plants, set out in Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), which place more stringent emission limits on these units |
Industry | 19 | - Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) came into force December 2015; will apply emission controls to combustion plants between 1 and 50MW from Dec 2017; Defra currently consulting on approach for transposing MCPD into domestic legislation - Requirements of IED have been implemented, including updating standards that apply to specific sectors, e.g. iron, steel, glass sectors |