CIEH Responds to the House of Lords Nitrogen Inquiry Report

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has welcomed the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee's report published today, which calls for a holistic national nitrogen strategy.

Our Vice President, Professor Jim McManus has said:

"Access to clean air and unpolluted land are basic human needs. We are concerned that the Government’s current approach is missing an opportunity to support these needs, as it lacks a joined up approach.

"We believe the Government’s air quality strategy will need to be designed to complement the environmental improvement plan and the circular economy strategy, which is currently in development. This will, for example, help ensure efficient nitrogen use in the UK and prevent the damaging impacts on health and the environment from excessive nitrogen use.

"A national nitrogen strategy will support our goals by providing a clear joined up plan for other government strategies as they relate to nitrogen management. This could provide long term direction for local authorities to implement air pollution interventions, in line with our previous calls, and is why we are glad to be part of the Sustainable Nitrogen Alliance (SNA)’s campaign.”

CIEH alongside our fellow SNA members have called on the government to recognise the damage caused by nitrogen and its negative impacts on public health, nature, climate change and the farming economy which the government inquiry has done. We are now calling on the government to accept the committee’s insights and adopt a holistic nitrogen strategy that covers all sectors to ensure effective nitrogen use in the UK and mitigate the risks of nitrogen to public health and air quality.

Further information about the SNA’s policy calls can be found at www.nitrogen.org.uk.