Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK intends to continue to meet the EU’s targets for nitrogen dioxide emissions to improve air quality after Brexit; and if not, what targets they intend to meet instead.

The UK has ambitious international targets in place to reduce emissions significantly of five damaging air pollutants by 2020 and 2030 as set in the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive and international Gothenburg Protocol. We have also transposed air pollutant concentration standards, as set by the Ambient Air Quality Directive, into domestic law. These targets will remain in place after the UK leaves the EU.

We have consulted on a new world-leading Clean Air Strategy, which goes beyond EU requirements to tackle not just nitrogen dioxide, but all of the main sources of air pollution. This includes being the first major economy to set goals working towards World Health Organization recommendations on Particulate Matter emissions. Our ambition has been commended by the World Health Organization and goes beyond any EU requirement.