Air Quality Written by Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
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Getting the public sector to procure greener vehicles NICE’s guidance on air pollution makes a number of recommendations to improve air quality, including the need for public sector fleets to make low vehicle emissions one of the key criteria when making routine procurement decisions. Professor Gillian Leng, NICE’s deputy chief executive, explains further Air pollution is linked to around 29,000 deaths a year in the UK. It is the fourth biggest threat to public health after cancer, obesity and heart disease, and last year alone, the costs of air pollution to the NHS and social care in England were estimated at £42.88 million. The harmful and life-threatening effects of air pollution are something we have battled as a nation for decades. In 1956, the government introduced its first Clean Air Act to put an end to the infamous urban smogs of the 1950s. And over the years further legislation and various monitoring networks were introduced to combat and measure air quality. But despite these positive steps forward, air pollution continues to pose a significant threat to life. Today, our biggest challenge is the air pollution caused by the millions of vehicles lining our roads. A national priority At the end of June 2018, there were 38.2 million vehicles licensed for use
We have known for some time that the nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emitted by vehicle exhausts has a direct impact on our health. For example, shortterm exposure to traffic-related air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and long-term exposure has been found to reduce lifeexpectancy, mainly due to an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Our guideline aims to prevent both the short-term and long-term effects of roadtraffic related air pollution. One key area it highlights is the important role that local authorities and NHS organisations can play to reduce the emissions from its vehicles.
Public sector procurement The public sector fleet is substantial. It includes various vehicle types (from local authority refuse vehicles and goods vehicles to lease cars and patient transport vehicles) many of which are highly polluting. However, public sector on the roads in Great Britain, of which decisions about vehicle procurement don’t 31.5 million were cars. Worryingly, always take air pollution into account. the total number of licensed vehicles In light of this, our guidance on our roads is increasing every year, recommends that local authority and averaging 640,000 per year since 2012. So it comes as no surprise that tackling NHS organisations should make low traffic-related air pollution is now a vehicle emissions one of the key criteria national priority. In June 2017, the when making routine procurement government proposed a £3.5 billion decisions. This could include replacing plan to reduce air pollution from road high polluting vehicles with low-emission transport and diesel vehicles and, in May ones at the end of their working life. 2018, it launched its Clean Air Strategy, Another key area the guidance explores is the need to train NHS and including a chapter on reducing local authority staff in emissions from transport. efficient driving. Many Air pollution has also become The drivers are unaware an important focus of the NICE of the impact their work we do at NICE. In guidan driving has on air June 2017 we published ce explore pollution, and our first piece of guidance s the n about practical on this topic and we are t e o ed train N changes they due to publish an air HS and local au could make to pollution quality standard t hority s reduce this. in February 2019. t a i
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