UK to be forced to cut air pollution levels?

The UK may be forced to cut its air pollution levels if a new law regarding the country’s obligations to the European Union (EU) is pushed through.

The government is facing a case in the UK Supreme Court today (March 7th) as it has failed to cut air pollution in line with legal limits.

Air quality laws will have been breached in 15 regions until 2020, the government has admitted, and people in London will not see pollution levels reach legal limits until 2025.

However, the government has contended that the EU laws are unrealistically strict, and according to the BBC it believes the European is partly to blame as it did not set proper limits on pollution from diesel exhausts from the start.

The High Court and the Court of Appeal have both refused to act on the issue, saying that the matter of enforcement was down to the European Commission.

However, environmental charity ClientEarth is to argue in the Supreme Court that the national courts must enforce EU environment law in the UK.

It is thought the European Commission would prefer to avoid confronting the UK on the issue, and so is encouraging the Supreme Court case.

Alan Andrews, from ClientEarth, told BBC News: “It’s a disgrace that we won’t achieve compliance by 2020 or 2025 – and it’s made worse that the British government is lobbying to weaken the limits because it claims they are unrealistic."

Simon Birkett, director of Clean Air in London, noted that London and the UK are experiencing their fourth serious smog episode this year.

“If the supreme court does not require action, the European commission must. Long-term exposure to invisible air pollution is the biggest public health risk after smoking,” he said.

This comes after the government earlier this week was forced to issue a severe pollution warning on London air quality after some pollution monitors registered 10/10.