CIEH Praises Government Promise of Legally Binding Commitment for Clean Air

Responding to Michael Gove’s pledge to include a legally binding commitment for clean air in the upcoming Environment Bill, CIEH has praised Mr Gove’s ambition.

The Environment Secretary outlined his commitment that levels of microscopic particulates should be limited by law to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, and cited the long-awaited Environment Bill as the vehicle to implement his pledge.

CIEH has long campaigned for a new Clean Air Act and for the Government to make tangible and deliverable commitments to improving air quality across the United Kingdom.

Tamara Sandoul, Policy Manager at CIEH, said:

“We are delighted to see Mr Gove's support for legally binding air pollution targets in line with WHO limits. This is a step in the right direction to protect public health.

However, this kind of support and commitment is needed from across government. Local authorities tasked with driving local initiatives for cleaner air must be given adequate resources for local air quality monitoring and projects.”

Our air should also be cleaned up as quickly as possible rather than working to distant targets, and we eagerly await the publication of the full Environment Bill to see how Mr Gove will turn his warm words into real action.

We will continue to work closely with government to ensure that the Bill meets the needs of our times, and that our members’ expert voices are heard.”