NGV Network welcomes publication of revised air quality plan

27th Jul 2017

 

The Natural Gas Vehicle Network has welcomed the publication of the Government’s revised air quality plan today after multiple delays and court cases. The pledge from government to ban production of petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 and bring in a national accreditation scheme for retrofitting polluting vehicles are evidence that the toxic issue of poor air quality is finally being taken more seriously.

However, detailed proposals backed up by leadership and funding from central government are still desperately needed as Mike Foster, CEO of the NGV Network, explains:

“We cannot wait until 2040 for the transition to low carbon and renewable modes of transport to happen; too many people are dying or suffering with debilitating conditions right now. There is still not enough ambition being shown on locally-focussed Clean Air Zones so we hope that local authorities will use the much-needed funding which has been announced to implement meaningful CAZs themselves.”

“Heavier vehicles have, once again, largely been forgotten in the Government’s plans. We are glad to see that the disproportionate impact of emissions from buses and HGVs is finally being acknowledged by the Government, but we are still waiting for concrete solutions and funding to come forward to tackle emissions from these vehicles.”

The Government have announced that they will hold a further consultation in the autumn on support for motorists and businesses adapting to new restrictions put in place by local authorities to tackle the UK’s illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide. Mike Foster added:

“We are clearly disappointed to see the Government kicking the issue of funding for retrofitting and a scrappage scheme even further into the long grass. To us, these measures are evidently essential to tackling the major NO2 emissions from buses and HGVs. Gas alternatives have been shown to provide significant real-world reductions on NO2 emissions as well as a host of other benefits but businesses need support to make the transition, particularly in the development of decarbonised fuels and a strategic network of filling stations.”

“Overall, we are seeing some progress but there is still a long way to go”.