Campaign update: 6 March 2008

Tessa Jowell replies personally on London 2012 air quality laws

International Paralympic Committee writes emphasising importance of independent assurance reports by Commission for Sustainable London 2012

Silence still from Olympic Delivery Authority and British Olympic Association

London needs radical environmental action to comply with air quality laws

CAiL urges Prime Minister take a lead on air pollution after Ministers will not

The Campaign for Clean Air in London (CAiL) has received a personal letter from Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics and London. The Minister’s letter responds to CAiL’s letter dated 17 January 2008 that urged the Government to commit to take all necessary actions to ensure that the London 2012 Olympic Games and the London 2012 Paralympic Games (London 2012) will, at an absolute minimum, comply sustainably and fully with the letter and spirit of all applicable UK and European Union (EU) air quality laws and the Host City Contract for London 2012.

CAiL is pleased to have received replies also from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Xavier Gonzales, Chief Executive of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). CAiL has sought, without any success, reassurance also from David Higgins, Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, and Lord Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association. The replies from Tessa Jowell and Xavier Gonzales are published in full at the end of this Campaign Update. CAiL is not publishing the IOC’s reply at its request.

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Campaign update: 27 January 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CAMPAIGN NEWS RELEASE: 27 January 2008

Low Emission Zone is much needed but must go much further, much faster

Brompton Road air pollution peaks hit record levels in 2007 and topped those in Marylebone Road

72% of Londoners are worried about air pollution

IOC was told that “London has the capacity and ambition to deliver the best Games ever – for athletes, for sustainability and the environment”

Department for Transport replies to 15 crucial questions from CAiL

Air pollution in London’s busiest streets must be “halved” within four years

Low Emission Zone is much needed

"The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is much needed since London needs to more than halve air pollution in its busiest streets within four years to meet health standards and comply with air quality laws. However, as currently planned, the LEZ will make a modest contribution only to the necessary reductions in air pollution levels. London needs to reduce the most hazardous vehicle emissions much further, much faster by tightening the LEZ in the most polluted areas of London. It is unacceptable that the Department for Transport still does not have an holistic strategy for the abatement of emissions from older vehicles. Emissions from diesel engines are a particular problem in London” said Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the Campaign for Clean Air in London (CAiL).

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Campaign update: 12 December 2007

CAiL gives conditional support to new EU Air Quality Directive

The Campaign for Clean Air in London (CAiL) thanks President Barroso, the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament for resolving their legislative impasse and agreeing new legislation to reduce Europe’s air pollution

CAiL’s support for the new Directive is conditional, however, on: the European Commission taking a robust stance in assessing and allowing any time extensions from existing requirements; the United Kingdom (UK) Government committing now to comply with this new legal framework; and there being no special “let-outs” for the UK

Quotes included from leading London MEPs of all four political parties

Commenting on this result, Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the Campaign for Clean Air in London (CAiL), said: “The Campaign for Clean Air in London thanks President Barroso, the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament for resolving their legislative impasse and agreeing new legislation to reduce Europe’s air pollution. Unexpectedly, the final outcome achieves one or two key objectives for each of those stakeholders, instead of a weaker Directive, that has been feared for two years, which would not have met, for any of them, any of their key objectives. London’s MEPs particularly have worked hard in defense of existing environmental protections.”

CAiL’s support for the Directive is conditional. Simon Birkett said “The new EU Directive is only better than the current regime of several EU Directives on air quality if: the European Commission takes a robust stance in assessing and allowing any time extensions from existing requirements; the United Kingdom (UK) Government commits now to comply with this new legal framework; and there are no special “let-outs” for the UK. Otherwise, Londoners would have been better off pressing for the robust enforcement of existing EU legislation - even though that could have taken years.”

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Campaign update: 3 September 2007

Government admits evasively EU air quality action

Government credibility on air pollution has hit a new low, shortly before the crucial Climate Change Bill debates, after being forced to admit European Commission action on Air Quality legal breaches

The Government has admitted that the United Kingdom (UK) has received a Letter of Formal Notice (first written warning) from the European Commission (the Commission) for failing to meet its legal obligations in relation to Air Quality. The admission came in a response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Campaign for Clean Air in London which has written again to the European Commission to urge further action. Both letters are published in the Campaign update.

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Campaign update: 12 August 2007

European Commission takes action on UK breaches of Air Quality Legal Limits

The European Commission has written to the Campaign for Clean Air in London at Commissioner Dimas’ request replying to its letter dated 12 May 2007 urging him to ask the European Court of Justice to commence enforcement action against the United Kingdom (UK) for breaching European Union (EU) legal limits for air quality for which no time extensions or derogations are allowed. Both letters appear at the end of this Campaign Update.

In its letter to Commissioner Dimas, the Campaign for Clean Air in London said:

“Respectfully, if the European Commission does not act in the way we are requesting it will raise serious concerns about the likelihood of any European Union enforcement action related to Air Pollution whether for air quality, for carbon dioxide emissions for cars or in respect of climate change. Please set an example now in respect of air quality that will reassure European citizens about their future.”

Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the Campaign for Clean Air in London, said today:

“We welcome news that the European Commission has written to the UK requesting information on the measures it intends to take to improve the [air quality] situation and to meet the requirements in the Air Quality Directives. Significantly, we believe that the UK has received also from the European Commission a Letter of Formal Notice in respect of breaches of EU legal limits for sulphur dioxide. The latter is a first step in legal action against a Member State that is not respecting its obligations. We asked Defra [i.e. the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] for confirmation of this news more than a week ago and are still awaiting a reply."

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Campaign update: 22 July 2007

No political will shown in Defra’s new Air Quality Strategy for the UK

The new Air Quality Strategy for the UK was published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on 17 July 2007. Commenting on the new Strategy, Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the Campaign for Clean Air in London, said:

"The new Air Quality Strategy is much needed after seven years and is therefore to be welcomed. However, after seven years and hundreds of pages of analysis in three volumes, the UK's updated Strategy is still mostly about "work in progress" rather than solutions. At this rate, the UK is likely to remain second worst for air pollution in western Europe behind only The Netherlands."

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Campaign update: 18 March 2007

Petition Prime Minister for Clean Air in London

To all Londoners (and others in the UK) worried about poor air quality:

"We are petitioning the Prime Minister to Pledge the Government’s full support to achieve urgently World Health Organisation recommended standards of air quality throughout London. Please sign our Petition to the Prime Minister today and forward it to others who are worried about the serious health effects of air pollution and promote the link on your website if you have one", said Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the Campaign for Clean Air in London:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/LondonCleanAir/


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Campaign update: 23 February 2007

Mayor supports personally “Clean Air in London”

Commenting on a personal letter from the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, which replied to a recent invitation to him to support the Campaign for Clean Air in London Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the cross-party Campaign for Clean Air in London, said:

“The Campaign for Clean Air in London is delighted to have received the Mayor’s full support for its goals to improve air quality for all and to find that he believes that all Londoners have the right to clean and healthy air. The Campaign has one overarching aim which is to achieve urgently World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended standards of air quality throughout London.

“The Campaign joins the Mayor in calling on the UK Government to take action to support London’s efforts to improve air quality. Furthermore, the Campaign for Clean Air in London asks again the Prime Minister and David Miliband, the Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to reply to letters to them dated 23 December and 5 January respectively, which invited them also to pledge their support for the Campaign for Clean Air in London. It is not as if serious air pollution can even be dismissed as a “London problem”. In 2006, Bradford, Glasgow and Scunthorpe joined London in breaching European Union legal limits on air quality and Port Talbot’s air pollution hit the maximum recommended level.

“Finally, with support for our goals now received from the Mayor and leading politicians of all four political parties as well as leading business groups and community organisations in London, the Campaign for Clean Air in London is calling for an ambitious package of measures to be introduced in coming months that will deliver for Londoners urgently at least a minimum of World Health Organisation recommended standards of air quality.”

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Campaign update: 16 February 2007

Mayor replies to our questions on the Low Emission Zone

Commenting on a letter from the Mayor replying to a recent submission on the Low Emission Zone consultation, Simon Birkett, Principal Contact for the cross-party Campaign for Clean Air in London, said today:

“The Mayor deserves credit for taking the first steps in the United Kingdom to reduce air pollution by tackling congestion and traffic emissions. Painful though it may be, road pricing and emission controls are necessary in London if the health and quality of life of those who live in, work in and visit London are to be protected.

“We need to bear in mind that over 1,000 people died in London in 2005 from one form of air pollution alone (particulate matter or PM10) which is more than four times the number who died in road traffic accidents. Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody, Chairman of The Transport Select Committee, said this week that the Government must make air quality a priority. The Committee’s annual report expressed dismay at the Department for Transport’s lack of success in improving air quality.

“The western extension of the Congestion Charge zone is a painful but necessary next step by the Mayor towards achieving World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended standards of air quality throughout London. We should encourage the Mayor to go further and faster by introducing a much more ambitious Low Emission Zone, if necessary, following a further or parallel public consultation. We should also encourage the Mayor to introduce a more sophisticated road pricing scheme, using a “tag and beacon” system rather than costly spy-in-the-sky satellites, that would allow congestion and air pollution to be targeted precisely without the blunt instrument of congestion charging that damages small businesses, makes short, non-peak hour journeys expensive and triggers rat-running through residential streets along its boundaries.

“Given that the Campaign for Clean Air in London has received support from the four main political parties in London as well as London First, the Central London Partnership and more than 25 community groups, it is not clear who the “stakeholders” are who stopping the Mayor from achieving urgently WHO standards of air quality throughout London and why the “practical problems” they raise cannot be addressed quickly. In 1999 legislation, most of the WHO air quality standards were expected to be achieved by January 2010 whereas the Mayor says now that they might not even be achieved by 2015. It is clear from his letter that the Mayor wants to do much more to improve air quality and he should be encouraged to take quickly bold steps to do so.”

The Campaign for Clean Air in London “urges the Mayor to implement ambitious measures to improve urgently London’s air quality which is amongst the worst in Europe and invites him again to Pledge support for the Campaign for Clean Air in London as many others have now done.”

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Campaign update: 1 February 2007

Clean Air in London wins cross-party support

The Campaign for Clean Air in London is delighted to announce today that it has received over 50 Pledges from leading politicians and business and community groups to support its cross-party campaign to improve air quality throughout London.

In recent weeks, we have invited Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, David Miliband, as Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and Ken Livingstone, as Mayor of London, together with various other leading politicians and organisations to Pledge their support to the Campaign for Clean Air in London. On 23 January, Ben Bradshaw, Minister for Air Quality within Defra, issued a news release titled “Greater action needed to deliver cleaner air”. Mr Bradshaw said “More needs to be done at local, national and European level if cleaner air is to be achieved” and commented that “Nitrogen dioxide and particulates continue to be a problem in specific locations – usually associated with traffic emissions”.

Pledges of support have been received now from 24 leading politicians representing all four of the main political parties in London. The Campaign for Clean Air in London is delighted also to have received Pledges of support from the Central London Partnership (which works by bringing together public and private sector influence to create positive change in Central London), London First (representing around 300 leading businesses in London) and The Knightsbridge Business Group (representing 18 leading businesses in the Knightsbridge area). These individuals and organisations join 27 community groups, representing virtually the whole of Central London, who have also confirmed their support for the Campaign.

Those giving Pledges have confirmed their support for the aim of the Campaign for Clean Air in London which is to achieve urgently World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended standards of air quality throughout London.

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Campaign update: 29 October 2006

Include all Air Pollution in Climate Change Bill

Air pollution is represented mainly by Climate Change (in the high atmosphere with long term consequences) and Air Quality (at street level with short, medium and long term health effects). The former is caused mainly by carbon dioxide and the latter is caused mainly by nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter. Both require international co-operation and tough local action to deliver effective solutions.

The Government is almost certain to commit formally to introduce a “Climate Change Bill”. For some reason, the Government seems unwilling to introduce a “contract for clean air” when it wants to introduce contracts for water and waste. Instead it seems to treat climate change and air quality as completely different air pollution subjects – possibly because different Defra Ministers have responsibility for the two subjects. Logic dictates that standards should be set for air pollution as a whole with binding annual limits and an independent watchdog. To do otherwise would be like saying that the Government wants standards for reservoirs and rivers but not drinking water!

Separately, they have been key, recent, developments in Europe in connection with the new draft European Union (EU) Directive on Air Pollution (which will determine the overarching structure of UK air pollution legislation for years to come). On Monday 23 October, David Miliband at the Council of Ministers rejected the vote by the European Parliament on the first reading of the European Parliament’s draft EU Directive on Air Pollution. Ben Bradshaw, Minister for Air Quality, who was in Luxembourg with David Miliband, did not seem to want to publicise the event and instead put out a News Release in the UK saying “Petrol station pollution to be cut by 85%”. Perhaps UK Ministers were embarrassed that only two Labour MEPs from the UK had attended the key European Parliament vote a month ago (because the others were presumably at the Labour Party Conference), and both voted for new time extensions for air pollution legal limits which the Council of Ministers then rejected.

The action of the Council of Ministers will force a second reading of the draft new EU Directive on Air Pollution probably in April or May 2007. The Council of Ministers formalised its informal stance of June 2006 which would allow a delay for the meeting of EU legal limits for particulate matter from 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2011 (i.e. by six years) and for nitrogen dioxide from 1 January 2010 to 1 January 2015 (i.e. by five years). The former would not be automatic and the current legal limits would continue to apply (and were breached in many places in the UK in 2005 - especially London). We find the possibility of allowing such delays either in legislation or practice unacceptable given that they were accepted by the UK Government as far back as 1999.

The next step in Europe will be the translation of the text into 23 languages so that it can go back to the European Parliament and the MEPs. This process will probably take until late January or February 2007. The European Parliament will then have three months before it must hold a second reading and a final vote. At that stage, the European Parliament can overturn the Council of Ministers decision and determine the form of the new legislation. It will be vital that European Governments press MEPs, particularly those in Germany and the Netherlands (who lead the adverse outcome on the first vote after intense lobbying of them by industrialists), to adopt an approach that strengthens EU air pollution legislation not weakens it. The role of London MEPs and all of the UK political parties will be crucial if that outcome is to be achieved.

To address unacceptable levels of air pollution in London, we will be seeking renewed support over coming months for a London wide action group on clean air from leading community organisations, business groups, borough councils, the Mayor and the Olympics organisers. We will also be seeking cross-party pledges from any political party claiming to have “green credentials” to the campaign to achieve World Health Organisation recommended levels of air quality in London by 1 January 2010 (and earlier for particulate matter). We know that once the political will exists, practical solutions will be found.

Finally, we urge all political parties to commit to addressing air pollution holistically, not piecemeal, in the new Climate Change Bill and to fight for tougher, not weaker, air pollution legislation in Europe.

Simon Birkett
Chair, Transport and Environment Committee
The Knightsbridge Association

Campaign site address

Note: if you haven’t done so already please read two recent media articles highlighting the extent of the air pollution problems in London

“Ken vs the black snot”

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/greenberry/?p=9

“Clean air – a necessity and a right”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/09/22/air_quality_feature.shtml

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Campaign update: 26 September 2006

London MEPs reject air quality postponements

Earlier today, all six MEPs representing London at the vote on the European Parliament’s (EP) first reading of a new European Union (EU) Directive on Air Pollution rejected unanimously calls for unnecessary postponements of European Union (EU) air quality limits. In an outstanding display of concern for Londoners, these MEPs stood up against their European political party allies to oppose these delays. One London MEP, John Bowis (Conservative), went so far as to vote against the offending amendments even though he was the official “Co-ordinator” of a session!

Two London MEPs made powerful addresses to the EP yesterday. Baroness Ludford (Liberal Democrat) said “The EU has a well earned reputation for championing environmental issues at home and abroad. It must now live up to this reputation and put citizens’ health first.” John Bowis emphasised that “In my constituency, 1,000 people die prematurely as a result of air pollution and another 1,000 are sent to hospital. We need a robust directive.”

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Campaign update: 20 September 2006

Stop Germans weakening new air quality regime

To all United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)

The debate in the European Parliament on the new European Union (EU) Directive on Air Pollution scheduled for 25 September, and the vote expected shortly thereafter, will prove a decisive test of your green credentials. Please stop the Germans from weakening and delaying the effect of the new legal regime for air pollution that will replace the current five EU Directives dealing with air pollution. Please protect UK citizens from air pollution by ensuring that a tough new EU legal regime is implemented urgently.

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Campaign update: 15 September 2006

Air pollution test of political green credentials

Dear nine London MEPs and Chris Davies MEP

The debate in the European Parliament on the new European Union (EU) Directive on Air Pollution scheduled for 25 September, and the vote expected shortly thereafter, will prove a decisive test of your green credentials.

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Campaign update: 20 August 2006

The Observer breaks the story on air pollution

The Observer newspaper broke the story today on the extent of air pollution problems in Central London. In a powerful and well researched article on page 3, Ned Temko, Chief Political Correspondent, highlighted the real impact of traffic pollution at street level.

Please read Ned Temko’s article online at:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1854333,00.html

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Campaign update: 19 July 2006

How can I contribute to this campaign?

If you want to register your concern about air pollution in Central London, you should send an email to Eko Dienne at "air.quality@defra.gsi.gov.uk" and copy it to:

1. Rt. Hon. David Miliband who is the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on david.miliband@defra.gsi.gov.uk

2. The Mayor on mayor@london.gov.uk

3. You might copy also your local MP and Councillors

4. Other political leaders might also be copied if you wish to ensure that other political parties are aware of your concerns.

Please make at least three points in your email:

1. Describe your worst local air pollution problems and emphasise your concern about the serious health effects they cause

2. Emphasise that you want HM Government to commit to achieving, at a minimum, the World Health Organisation recommended levels for air quality in your area by 1 January 2010 (or earlier especially for particulate matter) - with no "let-out" clauses in areas of high population density

3. Emphasise that you consider that "an unequal distribution of health risks over the population would raise concerns of environmental justice and equity".

Good luck - the more emails that get sent to these political leaders, the more they are likely to appreciate the depth of concern about air pollution across Central London.

Thank you.

Simon

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