Wednesday 26 August 2020

Oxford Council to become ‘first UK local authority to set out city-wide air pollution reduction target’

Oxford City Council has announced plans to set out a city-wide air pollution reduction target, which goes further than the current legal target.

It is believed the local authority will become the UK's first to do so.

The air quality action plan seeks to set a stricter target than the 40µg/m3 annual limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels with a new local annual limit of 30µg/m3 by 2025.

Oxford has seen an average reduction of 26% in NO2 and 31% in particulate matter (PM10) at sites where air quality monitoring has been in place since 2013.

The local authority is already working on a plan to implement additional measures to achieve the ambitious target, including an expansion of its electric vehicle fleet and the introduction of a new Low Emission Zone for buses.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: "By setting a stricter target than the government’s own target, we believe we are doubling down on our commitment to clean air, public health, and social justice.”