An update on the Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy review by Andrew Taylor.

1. Cleaner Air for Scotland
Review
Andrew G Taylor
Air Quality Policy Manager

2. Cleaner Air for Scotland
• Published 2015
• Scotland’s first air quality strategy
separate from UK
• Aim – to bring together
within a single framework
Government policies impacting
on air quality
• Contains 40 actions for
implementation to 2020

3. Review
• Independent review commissioned in
November 2018
• Two key aims:
‾ Review progress to date
‾ Identify priorities for additional action
required to deliver further air quality
improvements to 2025

4. • Steering group chaired by Professor
Campbell Gemmell
• Supported by four expert working
groups:
‾ Health & Environment
‾ Placemaking
‾ Transport
‾ Agricultural, Domestic & Industrial
Emissions
• Final report submitted to Scottish
Government July 2019

5. Key Conclusions 1
• Scotland performing well by EU and international
standards, with both emissions and ambient
concentrations of major air pollutants declining year
on year
• Additional action needed as our understanding of
human and environmental health impacts continues
to improve
• Air pollution, climate change, carbon reduction and
mobility are strongly interconnected – strong
statement required to highlight this, and the co-
benefits of integrated policy
• There remain both some general and some localised
and periodic poor air quality areas which require
urgent attention and action

6. Key Conclusions 2
• Whilst transport will continue to be the main focus,
scope must widen to cover other sources, in
particular domestic combustion and agriculture
• With regard to transport, more work required to
encourage modal shift
• CAFS overall has had a positive impact – but an
overly complex structure, is not yet wholly
implemented or widely understood, insufficient
authority and now needs more focus and energetic
and aligned implementation

7. Key Conclusions 3
• Integration of policy and implementation is
essential, nationally and locally
• Local government has a key role to play –
actions across all services must fit more
effectively with strategic goals,
responsibilities and objectives of national
agencies
• Good and strong legal drivers of change for
Scotland’s urban air quality, but these need
to be operated more effectively

8. Conclusions and Recommendations
• Report makes 10 general and 38 detailed
recommendations
• Detailed recommendations cover:
‾ Health
‾ Agricultural, domestic & industrial emissions
‾ Transport
‾ Placemaking
‾ Local government
‾ Behaviour
‾ Governance

9. 1. A Precautionary Approach
• Precautionary public health approach to air
pollution
• Minimum = compliance with air quality
standards and WHO guidelines
• Practical efforts to reduce preventable air
pollution further should continue

10. 2. Integrated Thematic and
Organisational Strategies
• Maximise co-benefits
• Align national/local strategies for
placemaking, climate change, noise and air
quality
• Local/central government integration across
LAQM, transport, planning, public health and
regulatory roles

11. 3. Impacts of New Developments
• Major new developments (e.g. new road or
housing development) must not lead to a net
increase in carbon emissions, worsen air
quality or exacerbate existing health
inequalities.

12. 4. Better Data
• To inform Scotland-specific interventions,
need continuous, high quality data on:
‒ Transport/traffic
‒ Air quality and emissions
‒ Environment
‒ Health

13. 5. Behavioural Research
• Research to provide clear contemporary
Scottish evidence on:
‒ Attitudes and levels of knowledge/concern
on air pollution
‒ Willingness to change air pollution-related
behaviours, particularly car use

14. 6. Environmental Regulation
• Retain existing/new EU requirements on
emissions to provide as high a level of
protection of Scotland’s environment as
possible
• High levels of compliance to be expected and
consistently achieved
• Review whether all relevant sectors are
subject to regulation at the right level to
address air pollution

15. 7. Tackling Under-regulated Areas
• Building on DEFRA Clean Air Strategy
proposals, CAFS to include Scotland-wide
set of plans to reduce emissions from:
‒ Domestic burning (e.g. local authority
powers to permit and control)
‒ Agriculture (e.g. management of farm
fertilisers and manures)

16. 8. Shifting to More Sustainable
Transport Modes
• Reduce demand for private vehicle use
• Increase provision for public/active travel
• Integrate strategies for cycling, walking,
electric vehicles, freight and bus sectors
• Broad and transformative second National
Transport Strategy, aligned with CAFS
review + investment programmes that deliver

17. 9. Governance, Accountability &
Delivery
• Simple, effective governance arrangements -
focus on practical joined up delivery
• Clear implementation strategy for CAFS
• Clarity on who is doing what
(leading/supporting) and accountability

18. 10. Further Progress Review
• Review of progress on air pollution
(including LEZs and general compliance)
before the end of 2025
• Identify remaining challenges and actions

19. Next Steps 1
• Comments being sought on the report until
end of 2019 –
‾ Online: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WHHXVYF
‾ Local authority workshop – 18 September
‾ STEP annual conference – 7 November
‾ Plantlife nitrogen workshop – 27 November
‾ Targeted meetings

20. Next Steps 2
• Drafting of new strategy – first part of 2020
• Followed by 12 week consultation and SEA
• Consultation responses used to inform
further development of draft
• New strategy to be published before end of
2020

21. Further
information on
review process:
andrew.taylor2@gov.scot