Issue 7
February 2021
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Air pollution and social deprivation What happened to all the cycling lanes?
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Editorial Comment and Contacts
Welcome to Air Quality News magazine Contacts Publisher: David Harrison d.harrison@spacehouse.co.uk 01625 614 000 Group Editor: Jamie Hailstone jamie@airqualitynews.com 01625 614 000 Journalist: Pippa Neill pippa@airqualitynews.com 01625 666 396 Advertising Director: Andy Lees andy@airqualitynews.com 01625 666 390 Finance Manager: Jenny Leach jenny@spacehouse.co.uk 01625 614 000 Administration: Jenny Odgen admin@spacehouse.co.uk 01625 614 000 Subscriptions: Andrew Harrison subscriptions@airqualitynews.com 01625 614 000 Published 6 times a year Annual Subscription - £19.95 +VAT
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As Air Quality News went to press on this issue, the government confirmed the grim news that at least 100,000 people in the UK have now died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. At times like this, it feels churlish to talk about other things, when so many people have lost loved ones, been made redundant or are struggling at home as the lockdown continues. But we have to be hopeful that at some point, particularly as more people get vaccinated, that this country will turn a corner and we will start to talk about what lessons can be learned from the pandemic. One of the more salient points has been why many communities in socially deprived areas have been harder hit by Covid than other more affluent locations. Research frequently highlights the links between poverty and health and in this issue, reporter Pippa Neill looks at the relationship between deprivation and air quality. Why is this an issue which affects people who live in urban others, and not others. Pippa also talks to Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, World Health Organisation clean air advocate, co-founder of the Ella Roberta Foundation and mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah, who last year was the first person in the world to have air pollution listed on their death certificate. Elsewhere we also look at the role that small businesses can play in reducing carbon emissions and becoming more energy efficient. This is obviously a difficult time for many SMEs, with staying afloat being top of the agenda, but there are still many small steps firms can take to improve the world around them. And while many of us probably never want to hear the word ‘algorithm’ again after last year, Air Quality News presents the unusual story of how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to help save the rainforests. Experts at Hitachi have developed a programme which can alert the charity Rainforest Connection to subtle changes in eco-systems and help prevent illegal deforestation. Looking forward to the rest of 2021, it is becoming harder and harder to predict what will happen next in any sphere. Last month, the long-awaited Environment Bill was delayed for a third time in Westminster, although the news that Alok Sharma is to take on the full-time role of COP26 President in readiness for the conference in Glasgow is to be applauded. Nevertheless, the government still has a lot to do in terms of matching its rhetoric with action on climate change. In the meantime, for many of us the future remains at home, under lockdown restrictions. Please stay safe and healthy and remember that brighter days must surely be ahead.
Jamie Hailstone, editor.
Printed on FSC certified paper stock, using vegetable oil inks. Fulfilment and distribution using 100% recycled envelopes.
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Contents
Features Contents Page 6-8: News
Page 10-12: Feature
Page 14-16: Feature
Page 6-8 News: Improved air quality could save 200,000 lives across Europe
Page 18: Marston Advertorial
Page 20-21 The Big Interview: Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, World Health Organisation clean air advocate, co-founder of the Ella Roberta Foundation
Page 20-21: The Big Intervew
Page 22-24: Feature
Page 25-27: International Page 10-12 Feature: Why the fight for clean air is a social justice issue
Page 29: Local Government Interview
Page 30-31: Local Government Page 22-24 Feature: The great wood burning stove debate
Page 32: Legislation
Page 33: Marketplace Page 14-16 Feature: Why small businesses need to think about climate change too
Page 34: Jobs
Page 25-27 International: Listening to the algorithm of the rainforest
Page 30-31 Local Government: Whatever happened to the ‘golden age of cycling’
Thanks to our contributors: Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, Nick Ruxton-Boyle, Dr Gary Fuller, Josh Siegel, Topher White, Grace Newcombe, Anita Llyod, Rob Biddlecombe
Partners
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in brief Sutton and Kingston Council partner with Vivacity Labs to make active travel safer. As part of the project, the councils will utilise Vivacity’s artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to provide data on different transport modes. This project follows the launch of initiatives such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and School Streets which were rolled out during the Covid-19 pandemic. These projects faced many teething issues due to the speed at which they were rolled out but it is hoped that this pilot study can anonymously support crowd management, monitor the impact of road and pavement changes and also reduce the infection risk for residents. Siemens Mobility has installed new cameras in Birmingham ahead of the new CAZ. The 67 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will identify and register every vehicle that enters the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in order to identify which vehicles are exempt from charges. The Class D CAZ has been designed to deter drivers of the most polluting vehicles from entering the zone, drivers of all vehicles will be charged, including cars, if they do not meet the latest emissions standards. The ANPR cameras are at the heart of the scheme, which is due to go live in June 2020. Manchester-based Breath Clean Air Group (BCAG) campaign against wood smoke. The group have created a new alarm system, where residents can simply fill out a form on the BCAG website, and the concern will be sent directly to Trafford’s Pollution Manager, Trafford Cllrs, MP Kate Green and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). According to the group, particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in Urmston recently reached 36 units. The UK limit for dangerous PM2.5 particulates is 25 units, but the World Health Organisation standard is much lower at 10. 6
Improved air quality could save 200,000 lives across Europe
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ver 200,000 deaths could be prevented if European cities brought their air pollution to be in line with the lowest measured levels, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health. After estimating the preventable premature deaths in each city, the research team then ranked the cities by mortality burden for each of the two pollutants studied. They found that the top ten cities with the highest mortality burden due to PM2.5 were all in Italy, Poland or the Czech Republic. In comparison, the top 10 cities with the lowest mortality burden were all in Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Sasha Khomenko, ISGlobal researcher and lead author of the study, said: ‘We observed great variability in the results for the different cities analysed.
‘The highest rates of mortality attributable to NO2, a toxic gas associated primarily with motor-vehicle traffic, were found in large cities in countries such as Spain, Belgium, Italy and France. ‘For PM2.5, the cities with the highest mortality burden were in Italy’s Po Valley, southern Poland and the eastern Czech Republic. This is because suspended particulate matter is emitted not
only by motor vehicles but also by other sources of combustion, including industry, household heating, and the burning of coal and wood. ‘The highest percentage of natural mortality that could be attributed to fine particulate matter was 15%, in the city of Brescia. With regard to nitrogen dioxide, the highest percentage–up to 7% of natural mortality–was found in the Madrid metropolitan area.’
Oxford council sets out city wide NO2 pollution target The new Air Quality Action Plan outlines a list of actions that the council and its partners will take to improve air quality across the city between 2021 – 2025.
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n the plan, the Council has set its own target for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions of 30 µg/m3, which they have pledged to achieve by 2025 at the latest. The current legal limit for NO2 is 40 µg/m3, however, research has now shown that this is not a ‘safe limit.’ The plan also sets out 30
actions and measures that the council will deliver across four priority areas: 1. Developing partnerships and public education. 2. Support for the uptake of low and zero-emission vehicles. 3. Reducing emissions from domestic heating, industry and services. 4. Reduce the need to travel, explore opportunities
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for mode shift and increase the uptake of sustainable transport. The main priorities are the delivery of Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) and Connecting Oxford – two major schemes which have been developed to tackle road traffic emissions and the dominance of the car on our roads. Cllr Tom Hayes, deputy leader and cabinet member for green transport and zero-carbon Oxford said: ‘We all have a right to breathe clean air. However, harmful levels of air pollution are harming people’s health and cutting lives short, with poorer and more disadvantaged people disproportionately affected. Air pollution is, at its heart, a social justice issue.’
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99% of London exceeds WHO air pollution limits Air pollution contributed to the death of more than 4,000 Londoners in 2019, according to a study conducted by researchers at Imperial College London.
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he study, which was commissioned by City Hall, found that the outer London boroughs had the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution, this was mainly due to the higher proportion of elderly people living in these areas, who are more vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution.
The boroughs with the highest number of air pollutionrelated deaths in 2019 were Bromley, Barnet, Croydon and Havering. This underlines that pollution is not just a central London problem. The research also revealed that Londoners from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities were
exposed to the highest levels of air pollution. However, the researchers did find that between 2016 and 2019 there was a 97% reduction in the number of state primary and secondary schools located in areas exceeding legal polluting limits. This means that the average life expectancy of a child born in London in 2013 will increase by six months. Despite these significant improvements, the researchers highlighted that levels of air pollution are still too high. 99% of London does not meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended limits for PM2.5 which adds to the growing evidence and crossparty consensus that these limits should be included in the Environment Bill as a legally binding target to be met by 2030.
Air pollution linked to sight loss People living in the most polluted areas are 8% more likely to develop irreversible sight loss, according to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
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esearchers at University College London analysed data from 115,954 UK Biobank study participants aged 40-69 with no eye problems at the start of the study in 2006. Participants were then asked to report any formal diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by a doctor. AMD is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among people over 50 in high-income countries. Official information on traffic, land use and topography were then used to calculate the annual average air pollution levels at participants’ home addresses. After accounting for potentially influential factors such as underlying health conditions
and lifestyle, the research team found that people in areas with higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution were more likely to report having AMD (specifically, they found an 8% difference in AMD risk between people living in the 25th and 75th percentiles of pollution levels). The researchers caution that this observational study
cannot confirm the cause, but their findings align with evidence from elsewhere in the world. Lead author of the study, Professor Paul Foster said: ‘Here we have identified yet another health risk posed by air pollution, strengthening the evidence that improving the air we breathe should be a key public health priority.’
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in briefin brief AI can read user reviews to identify gaps in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Although EVs are key to reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the lack of confidence in charging services deters many people from going electric. In a bid to tackle this, researchers have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can accurately identify places where there are insufficient or out-of-service charging stations. With the aid of their AI, the researchers were able to predict whether a specific station was functional on a particular day. The number of charge points is the biggest concern when it comes to driving an EV. According to the survey, which was conducted by Uswitch on over 1,000 drivers, women have more concerns about purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) than men. Overall, one in six male respondents said they had no worries about making the switch, in comparison to just one in ten women. The high cost of an electric vehicle was also a big concern for female drivers, this was followed by range anxiety, with 36% expressing concern that their car would run out of battery whilst on the road. Heat pumps and electric vehicles (EVs) could become central to everyday life. According to the electricity firm UK Power Networks, by 2030 there could be over 700,000 electric heat pumps and 4.5 million EVs. Heat pumps and EVs are central to the UK achieving its net-zero emissions target by 2050 and are an essential solution to reducing air pollution. As prices of EVs continue to fall, and with the government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles looming closer, the researchers have said that this could further accelerate the sales of EV’s, which are already at an all-time high. 7
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in brief New app enables EV drivers to save hundreds of pounds. The Ohme App provides users with all the capabilities of smart charging, delivering insights that can help electric vehicle (EV) drivers to balance the grid, but through a free app. The creators hope that this will lower the barriers to EV adoption by providing all drivers with access to intelligent, low-cost charging by giving them the ability to control how much they pay to charge their vehicle from their smartphone. Combining the app with a time-ofuse tariff brings the cost of driving 10,000 miles down to just £160-£210 – an annual saving of £275-£350. Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is expected to launch in Spring 2022. In a bid to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels to be within legal limits, the ten Greater Manchester local authorities are under direction from central government to introduce a category C Clean Air Zone. This will include charges for buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs and light goods vehicles (LGVs), but not private vehicles. Further work is also taking place to understand the economic impact of Covid-19 on traders and businesses whose current business vehicles would not meet the mandated standards that the Clean Air Plan will enforce. New electric vehicle (EV) battery can be charged in just 10 minutes. According to a report, which was published in the journal Nature Energy, the key to long-life and rapid recharging is the battery’s ability to quickly heat up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and then cool down when the battery is not working. In light of this, researchers at Penn State University have developed a new lithium-ion phosphate battery which uses a selfheating approach. The battery uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative terminal and the other extending outside the cell to create a third terminal. 8
One EV was registered every 3 minutes in 2020 2020 was the best year-ever for EV sales, with the market up by 140%.
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ata published earlier this month by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that the total number of new, fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered last year peaked at 175,082. According to campaign group Go Ultra Low, this growth in the EV market was in part driven by a significant increase in models for consumers and
businesses to choose from. This increase in choice has also been accompanied by a number of supportive policy measures, including the Plug-In Car Grant (PICG) that offers £3,000 off a fully electric car costing less than £50,000. The continued growth of the EV market has also been accompanied by an increasing number of public charge points. The Government recently announced £1.3bn of additional
funding to accelerate the rollout of EV infrastructure in homes, streets and on motorways. Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: ‘The increase in uptake of EVs never ceases to impress me. While there were less than a handful of EVs to choose from in 2011, there are now more than 100 models available and for the first time ever, manufacturers are scheduled to bring more brand-new EVs to market than either petrol or diesel models.’
Lockdown had less impact on air pollution than previously thought After developing new corrections for the impact of weather and seasonal trends, researchers at the University of Birmingham found that the reduction in nitrogen oxide (NO2) in the first lockdown was smaller than expected.
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n order to analyse air pollution data, researchers from the University of Birmingham used machine learning to strip out weather impacts and seasonal trends from the air quality data and then they analysed site-specific hourly concentrations of pollution from December 2015 – May 2020. The researchers focused on changes in NO2, ozone and
particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in 11 global cities: Beijing, Wuhan, Rome, Madrid, London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles and Delhi. The research revealed that concentrations of PM2.5 decreased in all cities, except London and Paris. Lead-author of the study, Zongbo Shi, Professor of Atmospheric Biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham,
said: ‘Rapid, unprecedented reduction in economic activity provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of interventions on air quality. Emission changes associated with the early lockdown restrictions led to abrupt changes in air pollutant levels but their impacts on air quality were more complex than we thought, and smaller than we expected.’
Welsh Government proposes stricter measures to reduce air pollution The Welsh Government published a new Clean Air White Paper, with an aim to reduce air pollution and its impacts on public health.
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t is currently estimated that air pollution contributes to between 1,000 – 1,400 premature deaths in Wales every single year. In a bid to reduce this, the White Paper includes a proposal to introduce a new air quality target setting framework alongside plans to enhance the effectiveness of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) legislation. The government has also proposed
a new dedicated charging scheme for trunk roads as well as further anti-idling guidance and increased power for local authorities to issue fixed penalty fines for idling. A consultation on the White Paper will run until April 7. In conjunction with the White Paper, the government has also published a report looking at the impact that lockdown has had on air quality in Wales. The report highlights that while fewer cars
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on the road meant a decrease of 36% and 49% in nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides respectively, a change of weather pattern brought an increase in PM2.5 from continental Europe. The Welsh Government is also currently consulting on approaches to reduce emissions from domestic burning of solid fuels. They are proposing the introduction of a ban on the sale of house coal and wet wood.
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Feature
Why the fight for clean air is a social justice issue Pippa Neill, reporter at Air Quality News, presents exclusive data highlighting the connection between air pollution and deprivation
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n the UK, as many as 36,000 people die prematurely every single year as a result of exposure to air pollution. But like with many things, the burden of this suffering does not fall equally across communities. Indeed, research conducted for Air Quality News by Shona Wild and Will Drysdale, postdoctoral researchers at the University of York, reveals that across London areas with higher annual average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations also have higher rates of deprivation in terms of crime, unemployment, income and living environment.
The wealth gap
Figure 1. Mean annual averaged NO2 (from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory) for each deprivation decile for selected domains of deprivation (from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) across all Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA) in London. A deprivation decile of 1 represents the most deprived 10% of LSOAs nationally. Error bars represent one standard error above and below the mean. The strongest correlation was with the living environment domain - which is to be expected as this index contains an air quality component, and poor air quality is well known to affect human health, but the correlations with other domains suggest that air pollution has broader links to other aspects of our lives.
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In order to understand why this is the case, Air Quality News got in touch with Dr Jo Barnes, senior research fellow at the Air Quality Management Resource Centre at the University of West Anglia and who is a renowned expert in this field. ‘It’s a chicken and egg situation,’ explains Dr Barnes. ‘We don’t really know whether deprived areas are subject to busy roads and polluting industries because they are already deprived, or whether it’s the presence of those things that devalues these places.’ ‘But ultimately, what’s happening here, is the people who have the least agency to be able to change their circumstances are ending up in areas that are the poorest and the most deprived, and those tend to be the places with the busiest roads or most industry, because the people who can afford to move away from those places, do.’ This is causing something which researchers have called the triple jeopardy effect. This refers to a situation where populations of low socioeconomic status are exposed to higher levels of air pollution because of where they live or work, this is leading
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to increased susceptibility to poor health and as a result is causing health disparities that are driven by environmental factors. ‘People living in deprived areas are already more likely to have pre-existing health conditions because of their circumstances, such as living in damp conditions or working in a hard-labour job,’ she adds. ‘If you put air pollution on top of that, it’s exacerbating the health impacts that they are already facing.’ According to Dr Barnes, the best way to reduce these impacts and close this gap is to focus on policies that affect more affluent communities. ‘Recent research we conducted revealed that it’s not those who are exposed to the air pollution who are causing it.’ ‘In England and Wales, more affluent households are more likely to own multiple cars, and those cars are likely to be second-hand, and therefore more polluting. We also found that more affluent households are more likely to own diesel vehicles and they are also more likely to drive further, because they can afford to do so.’ ‘This means that targeting policies at more affluent households may not be such a bad thing, perhaps in fact, it’s the best place to start.’
The racial element When it comes to these inequalities, it is important to highlight that this is not just a wealth issue, but in fact the issue goes much deeper. According to researchers at Imperial College London, the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the UK have the highest levels of air pollution. Even after allowing for the fact that some of these neighbourhoods are more deprived, the researchers found that there was a difference of 3.0 µg/m3 for particulate matter (PM2.5) and 10.1 µg/m3 for nitrogen oxide (NO2). 17-year-old Destiny Boka Batesa, one of the four cofounders of the clean air campaign group ChokedUp tells Air Quality News about her lived experience of growing up in South Norwood, Croydon, an area with high levels of air pollution and where 59% of the residents belong to black, Asian or minority ethnic groups. ‘Growing up my sister and a lot of my friends suffered from asthma and other respiratory illnesses,’ says Destiny. ‘I remember walking to school and noticing the cars parked with their engines running, or the ice cream van humming in the playground.’
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‘But it was only when I grew up and got involved in the climate movement that I drew the connection between my sister and friend’s illnesses and the air pollution where we lived.’ ‘If you grow up in a more deprived area, this depletes your quality of life straight away, if you then add air pollution on top of that it means that we are struggling a lot more than necessary, and the racial element of this cannot be ignored.’ ‘Creating ChokedUp has given me a meaningful way to channel my anxiety but in the long term I hope to see amendments to the Clean Air Act to ensure that we all have our voices heard. I want to see active measures put in place to ensure that black and brown, or deprived communities of any kind, are not overshadowed, I want to ensure that all of our lives are valued and protected.’ Covid-19 This problem continues with the Covid-19 pandemic which has made these issues worse by deepening inequalities. According to researchers at University College London (UCL), half of those who were struggling financially before the lockdown now say that their situation is ‘much worse,’ whereas only 20% of those who were financially comfortable pre-Covid now feel they have become worse off. Not only has the pandemic deepened these financial inequalities, but it has also highlighted the racial inequalities present throughout the UK. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that black male citizens are four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than their white counterparts. This is reportedly due to many compounding socioeconomic factors, from access to health and social care
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to living in more overcrowded households. But one factor which cannot be ignored is air pollution, air pollution causes a wealth of respiratory conditions, and indeed a growing body of research has highlighted that exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of dying from Covid-19. Imogen Martinea, UK portfolio manager at the Clean Air Fund, says: ‘Across the board the pandemic has highlighted and also exacerbated inequalities.’ ‘Far too often the negative impacts of a policy are felt by those who are the least able to shout about it. As we come out of the pandemic, we need to put social justice at the heart of our actions. We need to engage with communities in ways that are meaningful, not just tick-box consultation exercises.’ ‘Going forward, it’s about making sure that all voices are heard by finding the space to bring people together.’ ‘We need to come up with the solutions to air pollution with a social justice lense.’ Going forward, The Clean Air Fund is looking at a number of ways to engage with communities and are currently assisting Guys and St Thomas charity on their work to reduce air pollution in low-income communities across London. But there is still much more work that needs to be done, as Destiny states: ‘When you live in a country that is indifferent to your personal issues because the people who are running it don’t face them themselves it is incredibly difficult.’ ‘We need to see actual change and to do that we need to put pressure on the government and the people in authority to make sure that they understand that our problems are important.’ ‘This is a problem we are facing now, we faced it yesterday and without change, we will continue to face it tomorrow.’
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Why small businesses need to think about climate change too Many large companies are developing net-zero strategies, but what about smaller firms? Jamie Hailstone investigates
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hese days it seems like every Tom, Dick and multi-national corporation has a lavish sustainability programme, designed to help protect the environment for generations to come. Whether it’s craft beer giants, Brewdog, promising to plant 1m trees in Scotland by the end of the decade or financial services firm Aegon committing to net-zero emissions by 2050, sustainability is now big business and a regular feature in
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boardroom meetings. A survey of business leaders published last month by the British Standards Institution (BSI) found 7 out of 10 said their company has made, or is considering making, a solid commitment to achieving the government’s 2050 net-zero goal. But what about smaller firms, who might not have the same resources as an international company? What can they do to reduce emissions? And why is it important for them to take action,
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when there are much bigger firms with larger carbon footprints? Make no mistake, small companies are big business. Government figures show that SMEs account for 99.9% of the UK’s business population, with around 5.9m firms. Of those, 5.82m SMEs employ less than 49 people. The SME sector as a whole, employs 16.6m, which is a quarter of the total population. Official figures also show that business and industry account for 25%
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of UK territorial emissions, with just under half of these emissions from SMEs, which therefore means they could play a vital role in the UK’s journey to net zero. But the BSI survey also found just one in five small businesses have committed to a net zero target, in contrast to 50 per cent of their larger cousins. Given current circumstances, it is understandable that sustainability might not be at the top of the agenda for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). A recent survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned that one in five firms have reduced headcounts in three months to December, and one in seven expect to do so in the first quarter of this year. And nearly 7 out of 10 business chiefs told the BSI that their plans to achieve the carbon neutrality target have been pushed back by the pandemic, as other corporate priorities have taken centre stage. But against the backdrop of coronavirus, the government has been making a series of announcements, designed to encourage more businesses to think about the environment, from Boris Johnson’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution to the appointment of Conservative MP Andrew Griffith as the UK’s net zero business champion. ‘Small businesses can play a critical role in helping the UK reach its green targets and shore up supply, but they need support to make sure they don’t get left behind,’ the national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Mike Cherry, tells Air Quality News. ‘With COP26 on the horizon, all eyes are on businesses to up their environmental game, but there needs to be strategic incentives. Businesses must be given the right motivational tools to help them make necessary long-term changes and plan budgets appropriately.’ ‘Businesses want to work with the government to deliver this, which is why FSB and the UK’s top five business groups (CBI, Make UK, BCC and IoD) are committing to creating a Net Zero UK by 2050, underpinned
by five core principles. These are ambition, accountability, delivery, opportunity and cost.’ ‘The government’s latest announcement to create 250,000 new jobs in a Green Industrial Revolution is also a positive blueprint for postpandemic recovery. It’s good to see a commitment to increasing electric car and van charging points, but gaps remain, as there is no proposed solution for supporting the affordable development and roll-out of more environmentally friendly HGVs,’ adds Mr Cherry.
‘In the short-term, sustainability is key. Small firms can play their part by switching to renewable energy suppliers, reducing plastic usage and waste in offices, turning lights off, planting trees and educating employees through carbon literacy training.’ Perhaps reassuringly, a survey last year by the Carbon Trust found that 80% of SMEs said they are taking action on energy efficiency, with more than half (51%) of those surveyed saying they wanted to do more in this area.
Tips for making your business more sustainable ‘Achieving the UK’s net zero by 2050 target, and driving a sustained effort to combat climate change, will require all businesses, regardless of size, to play their part. Collectively SMEs make up 99% of the UK’s business population – so their actions have a huge impact on the future of our planet,’ says Opus Energy’s sales and service director, Rob Milloy. ‘Our research shows the Covid-19 pandemic has made SME owners more environmentally conscious. Whilst during the pandemic many will be focused on simply staying afloat, there are some relatively easy steps SMEs can take to reduce their carbon emissions that will also work for their business’ needs.’ 1. Start small There are plenty of small steps that over time, end up going a long way towards reducing emissions. These include: • Turning the office thermostat down by 1°C, which can reduce annual heating bills by up to 8%. • Using energy-efficient lighting, which can save businesses about £1,500 a year. • Adopting a company-wide switch off policy. While it may seem trivial, leaving 50 computers on overnight for a year would create enough carbon dioxide (CO2) to fill a double decker bus – and cost a business over £600 a year. 2. Choose the right vehicles With the government looking to end the sale of internal combustion engine cars by 2030, businesses need act now and make sure they are choosing the right vehicles to futureproof their operations. If businesses operate fleets, or offer their employees company cars, switching to EVs can offer significant savings. With government grants to offset the purchase cost, tax incentives, and lower maintenance and running costs, the savings can soon add up 3. Install a smart meter The UK Government estimates that introducing energy efficiency measures could reduce the SME’s energy costs between 18% and 25%. One way of doing this of this is to install a smart meter, which gives SME owners access to realtime data-related insights into how and where they use their energy. This transparency allows businesses to be smarter and more energy efficient, providing them with an easy way to be more sustainable. 4. Invest in renewables If a business has already switched to a renewable energy tariff, the next step may be to look into generating their own renewable power. Installing solar panels, for example, is a cost-effective way of ensuring the electricity used is entirely renewable. It also enables businesses to diversify, bringing in a new stream of revenue. If done right, it can be low effort, high impact and great for the environment. Making the switch to renewable energy not only reduces environmental impact but contributes towards wider decarbonisation across the UK’s electricity network too.
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But it also found that two thirds (68%) of SMEs do not have a consistently documented and implemented energy policy, and a lack of time and money was cited as the main barrier to improving energy efficiency. The chief executive of ClimateCare, Vaughan Lindsay, says there are certainly some steps small businesses can take now to tackle climate change and ‘start their journey to net zero’. ‘When people think about reducing the climate impact of their business, they think about recycling, working from home, going paperless and turning off the lights, and these are really important steps to take, but they are just the start,’ he tells Air Quality News.
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‘Businesses need to take responsibility for their entire carbon footprint in order to achieve a net zero position. Anything less than that is not a responsible position for a business today.’ ‘At its most basic, this is a stepby-step process with a hierarchy of actions. To start they will need to measure their emissions using one of the many carbon calculators available to understand what their footprint is. Once they understand what this footprint looks like they must then eliminate what they can (such as non-essential air travel), and of course reduce what they can’t completely eliminate, such as energy use. Finally, they will need to offset the remainder, their residual emissions, through financing an equivalent
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amount of emissions reductions outside of the business.’ ‘Whilst there is much that business can and should do to take responsibility for their emissions, government leadership is required to ensure we move at pace in the coming months. They need to set a strong environment policy with a clear direction of travel and plans to incentivise, enable and catalyse change at the speed required to put net zero within reach of businesses both large and small,’ adds Mr Lindsay. Realistically, the big issue for many companies right now is just staying afloat, but as the nation waits for brighter days, other issues will move back up the agenda. And when they do, small businesses will have a big
‘An admirably clear book and an appropriately urgent one.’ The Sunday Times
•Interesting •Challenging •Thought Provoking
Join the discussion www.environmentjournal.online 01625 614000 twitter.com/envjournal linkedin.com/in/environment-journal
‘Takes us on a breathless, alternative tour... Fuller pulls no punches.’ Evening Standard
Out now in all good bookshops
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Workplace Parking Levy - the second coming By Nick Ruxton-Boyle, Director of Environment, Marston Holdings
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n the midst of a global pandemic that has crippled many industries it might not seem the most obvious time for local authorities to consider introducing a new charge for business parking. However, the workplace parking levy (WPL) is a flexible transport and fiscal policy tool that could meet the changing demands and priorities of local authorities who are planning for post pandemic life. The current crisis has done two things that –have affected the way in which the WPL should be viewed. Firstly, the economic impact of CV19 will be felt for years to come and local authorities will need to ensure sustainable budgets to deliver a wide range of existing and new services as we build back better. Secondly, we have seen how working from home en masse can have a significant impact on air quality and carbon emissions. A WPL is a charge that a local authority can place on private business commuter parking to both manage peak time traffic congestion and generate revenue for transport investment. The one scheme up and running at present is in Nottingham. It is generally hailed as being a huge success, allowing the city to deliver an impressive sustainable transport infrastructure. The scheme is also setting the scene for Nottingham to become the UK’s first net zero city. The Nottingham scheme has been operational for many years prior to the pandemic. Despite the fact that it took a long time in the planning stages, which is not surprising given that it was the first in the UK, this WPL is now a mature and stable operation. Unlike other road user charging schemes that require expensive ANPR camera technology, the WPL is not significantly different from local authority on-street parking operations with annual permits backed up by traditional enforcement. Importantly, the Nottingham WPL has been able to flex with the changing working practices resulting from the pandemic. As it is a charge on parking spaces occupied, the increased emphasis on working from home has meant that fewer people are driving to work. This has reduced the liability of businesses to pay the levy. Nottingham’s scheme has become a poster boy for economic road user charging and is currently being studied by local authorities nationwide and beyond. Organisations are choosing to locate in the city due to their sustainable and environmental credentials despite the additional parking charge which they can pass onto their staff if they wish. One of the city regions considering the introduction of a WPL is Leicester. As part of its new Local Transport Plan, the council will be consulting on such a scheme. Early engagement is already underway as is technical work with WPL experts and local academic institutions. Investment priorities have been established across the city and air quality improvement and
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climate change will be a key focus. This is different approach to Nottingham’s and shows the adaptability of such schemes to different and evolving policy agendas. CV19 may have slowed Leicester down but a WPL plays a key role in the city’s recovery plans and transformation agenda. The current prediction is that the WPL could be operational by early 2023. The London Borough of Hounslow is also evaluating a WPL. Here, the council’s approach showcases the flexibility of WPLs by using them to target specific local challenges. In this instance, it would cover only a small Opportunity Area on the Great West Corridor which has poor public transport accessibility. The plan is to invest in rail infrastructure linking the area to the Elizabeth Line and HS2. Work started in Hounslow long before the start of the pandemic, but it has allowed the council to refocus the benefits of the scheme to align with current and predicted challenges and priorities. The shift of the commute to more sustainable modes will generate significant air quality benefits through investment in public transport and active travel. This will accommodate the changing travel behaviour of people who want to avoid paying the WPL that is passed on to them by their employers. The improvements in air quality will also be enhanced by organisations that remove car parking and reallocate the spaces to other uses. The case for WPLs was strong even before the pandemic. Their economic, environmental, and social case is even greater now with a focus on CV19 recovery.
Nick Ruxton-Boyle is Director of Environment at Marston Holdings and leads the company’s local authority road user charging portfolio. He is a transport planner with over 20 years’ experience in the design and delivery of sustainable transport policies and technology solutions for the public and private sectors. For further information please visit: www.marstonholdings.co.uk/airquality
The Big Interview
Rosamund Kissi-Debrah Air Quality News reporter Pippa Neill, talks to Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, World Health Organisation clean air advocate, co-founder of the Ella Roberta Foundation and mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the world to have air pollution on their death certificate.
From a young age, Ella suffered with acute breathing difficulties and was first taken to hospital aged six following a severe coughing fit. After this first episode, Ella was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening form of asthma, and was frequently rushed to Lewisham Hospital where she ended up in the Intensive Care Unit a further four times. By 15 February 2013, Ella had passed away. Ella’s death was first subject to an inquest in September 2014, where her cause of death was recorded as acute respiratory failure caused by severe asthma, but the reason behind Ella’s condition remained undiscussed, leaving Rosamund with many unanswered questions. In 2018, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, a leading expert on the impact that air pollution has on human health produced a report for Ella’s family which linked her death to illegal levels of air pollution in the area where she lived, 25 metres from the South Circular, one of London’s busiest roads. Ella’s mother, Rosamund, has since co-founded the Ella Roberta Foundation and has dedicated the last seven years to campaigning against illegal levels of air pollution while also fighting to secure a fresh inquest to reassess the reasons behind Ella’s death. Following seven years of hard-work and an eleven-day grueling inquest, on 16 December 2020, coroner Philip Barlow ruled that exposure to illegal levels of air pollution made a ‘material contribution’ to Ella’s death. ‘I think any parent who has lost a child would want to know the actual reason behind why they passed away,’ she tells Air Quality News. ‘For me, it was the only thing left I could do for my
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daughter. ‘This is something we have been fighting for for a very long time and it’s finally official. But, it’s taken us seven years to get here. The team has done an amazing job in bringing this victory home but we wouldn’t have been able to do it if it wasn’t for leading experts like Stephen Holgate.’
‘I think it will take a long time for the meaning of this verdict to actually sink in,’ says Rosamund ’ This verdict represented a landmark success not just for Rosamund and the Ella Roberta team, but for air pollution campaigners all around the world. We know that air pollution causes millions of premature deaths every single year, but this verdict and the coroner’s conclusion has brought the dangers of air pollution to be beyond statistics. As acknowledged by the coroner, this inquest will have far-reaching consequences ‘for other people and other cases’ and not only could this decision pave the way for other individuals to use the law to fight for clean air, but it also provides us with a reminder of the government’s legal duty to protect people from air pollution. ‘I think it will take a long time for the meaning of this verdict to actually sink in,’ says Rosamund. ‘Although I am well aware that this is a monumental moment, at the end of the day I am a mother and this is my child.’ ‘In the UK, three people die from asthma attacks every single day and we know that seven million people die prematurely worldwide every single year as a result of air
The Big Interview
pollution. I just hope that now Ella’s death has been officially recognised that government’s everywhere, not just in the UK, will take note.’ ‘Air pollution needs to be recognised as a public health emergency, it’s a pandemic.’ ‘But let’s wait and see, I don’t want to say that suddenly everyone is going to prove that air pollution caused respiratory-related deaths. It’s taken us a very long time to get here and I don’t want anyone to think it was easy, I wouldn’t wish this journey on anyone.’ As well as concluding that air pollution played a
aware of the impacts of air pollution, apart from writing a letter to the local authority, what can they really do?’ ‘It is down to the government to start cleaning up the air, frankly that would be a good place to start.’ Despite the landmark success of this inquest, Rosamund and many other clean air activists will not stop here and continue to make ambitious plans for the fight for clean air. Rosamund and her team will soon start work on Ella’s Law which, although it is yet to be decided in its entirety, is hoped that it will replace the current Clean Air Act, which has not been updated since 1993.
significant role in Ella’s death, the coroner also recorded that Rosamund was not given information about the health risks of air pollution and its potential to exacerbate asthma. ‘We started this journey almost ten years ago,’ says Rosamund, ‘and at the time there wasn’t that much information out there about the link between air pollution and asthma.’ ‘This has changed a lot, but there’s still a huge amount of education yet to be had.’ ‘Health professionals in particular need to be brought up to speed, but it’s still really difficult, even if the doctors are
‘Air pollution needs to be recognised as a public health emergency, it’s a pandemic.’ ‘Fundamentally, I think that clean air must become a human right.’ ‘You can go two weeks without food and three days without water, but if you can’t breathe for two minutes then you will die.’ ‘We have very ambitious goals so we are going to need a lot of support, but fundamentally we want to save lives, not just in the UK, but all over the world,’ she adds.
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Feature
The great wood burning stove debate
Why do stoves remain popular with the public when they are a major source of indoor and outdoor air pollution? Pippa Neill investigates
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ou’ve just come back from a long walk, the house is cold so you light the fire and sit down with a cup of tea to read your book. To many people, this probably sounds like the perfect way to spend a lockdown afternoon, but in fact, there is something quite sinister going on here. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), wood and coal fires are the single biggest source of particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the UK. Even in London, which has had smoke-controlled areas for more than 60 years, researchers at King’s College London found that wood burning was responsible for
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between 23 - 31% of all PM2.5 pollution. Because of their size - about 30 times smaller in width than that of a human hair - PM2.5 is one of the most dangerous air pollutants when it comes to human health. These tiny pollutants can travel deep into the respiratory tract where they can lead to numerous health problems, from asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and pregnancy loss. Yet despite the carcinogenic properties of these particles, lighting up a wood burning stove or an open fire remains hugely popular, indeed an estimated 175,000 wood burners are sold in the UK every year.
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To get to the crux of why this is the case and in a bid to understand the bigger picture, Air Quality News spoke with Dr. Gary Fuller, an air pollution scientist at Imperial College London, and whose book ‘The Invisible Killer’ addresses this issue in detail. ‘I think to start with, we need to understand this whole phenomena, and to do that we need to look not just at the quantitative science, but also at the social and behavioural reasons as to why people are using wood burning stoves and open fires in the first place. ‘Let’s face it, looking at flames is completely brilliant, it’s wonderfully relaxing and I think many people also believe that it brings them close to nature, but the implications on air pollution are enormous and that cannot be ignored.’ In recent years, the discourse around wood burning stoves has focused on them being a more environmentallyfriendly option when it comes to heating your home.’ Indeed, the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA), the industry body representing the wood burning stove industry, have gone so far as to say that burning wood is a ‘carbon neutral heating option.’ ‘I know it’s slightly debatable,’ says Morley Sage, chair of the SIA, ‘but if you use locally sourced wood then you’re almost certainly in a carbon neutral situation.’ However, this situation is far from clear cut and measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions remains incredibly difficult, as Dr. Fuller explains: ‘When you look at the whole life cycle of burning wood, you’ve got to say what is the counterfactual?’ ‘If we compare a scenario where you heat your home with gas and leave the tree in the forest, to one where you chop down a tree and leave the gas unused, then what happens to the CO2?’ ‘When you set fire to wood in your fireplace, you’re automatically releasing carbon that has been sequestered for many decades, and it will take the ecosystem a long time to reabsorb that carbon. So, you see, the debate becomes not which one is better, but in which time window are they better.’ This lack of clear communication goes beyond the CO2 impacts of wood burning stoves, but also extends to their air pollution impact. Later this month, the government will begin to phase out the sale of coal and wet wood, which according to Defra are ‘the two most polluting fuels.’ However, Dr Gary Fuller warns that ‘this is possibly a very contradictory signal’. ‘You could look at this and say yes, it will help the problem,’ says Dr. Fuller. ‘But then are you saying that it’s completely acceptable to burn dry wood?’ ‘I raise the concern that, in five or 10 years’ time, will our pollution problem actually worsen because people will see this as a message that they can go out and either open up an old fireplace or buy an old wood burning stove, and as long as they’re burning dry wood, then the industry seems to imply that it’s completely fine.’ ‘Indeed, research we conducted in London revealed that the extra PM2.5 that was coming from wood burning stoves was seven times greater than the air pollution reduction
from the first two phases of the low-emission zones. So, you can see that this mixed messaging runs the risk of undoing much of the work and investment that we’re putting into other areas.’ However, as Mr Sage highlights, there is an emissions hierarchy when it comes to the fuels we burn and the stoves we use. ‘If you look at a new Ecodesign compliant stove it will produce on average 90% less emissions than an open fire, and 80% less emissions than the average 10-year-old stove.’ ‘Our website highlights the benefits of replacing older stoves and when that isn’t a possibility then we encourage consumers to ensure that they’re burning the right fuel, meaning fuel that is in line with the government’s new law.’ ‘The overall message that we’re trying to get across is that it’s all about having the right appliance, the right fuel and then burning it in the right way.’ However, according to a 2015 government survey, in London, 68% of people who were burning wood in their homes were using open fires, the most polluting of all appliances. The fact is, wood burning stoves and open fires have an extremely long life-span, upwards of 20 years, and replacing them can be very expensive, a brand new Ecodesign approved stove costs anywhere from £500 £2,000, without considering installation costs.
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Feature
‘The turnover for solid fuel devices is really, really long,’ adds Dr. Fuller. ‘So people are going to be making substantial investments in stoves and it’s going to be really hard to say that they shouldn’t use them.’ ‘Yes, if people were to take their open fire, and replace it with something that’s more modern, it would mean a reduction in emissions.’ ‘But even the best stoves still emit air pollution, in their biomass report, the Air Quality Expert Group found that burning wood in an Ecodesign stove was similar to the emissions from six Euro V1 HGVs.’ ‘I think it’s important to recognise the benefit of risk reduction, but also to recognise that it’s not the answer.’ Mr Sage also highlights that there are many other benefits of using wood burning stoves: ‘It’s also a form of heating which assists with fuel poverty, it is not generally bought on credit and it’s an affordable and a local space heater.’ ‘There are also many other health benefits, wood burning stoves are a very calming focal point in the home, and at a time when stress and mental health are very important, they can have a positive contribution to that.’ ‘They are also good at circulating air in the house, which can also be beneficial for health.’ But in the midst of a respiratory pandemic, where air
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pollution has been linked to a greater risk of dying from Covid-19, the question remains, is lighting a fire and contributing to the wider air pollution problem the socially responsible thing to do? As Harriet Edwards, senior policy manager at the British Lung Foundation says: ‘We want to encourage people to really question if they need to use a wood burning stove, and if they are using one, then we encourage them to really think about the way they are using them.’ ‘But the consumer information is just not out there at the moment and there’s a really big piece of work that needs to be done to change that. I think many people feel duped, they might have felt they were making a more environmentallyfriendly choice and now they’re being told otherwise, we need to ensure that the public are given much clearer advice and information, because ultimately, no level of air pollution is safe to breathe in.’ There is clearly a gap in the information when it comes to wood-burning stoves and, as shown, the debate remains to be very heated, but whether they are contributing to air pollution inside your home or causing an air pollution problem to the wider community, there is clearly a need for clear communication to help raise awareness and highlight the air pollution impacts of these not so idyllic woodburning stoves.
International
Listening to the algorithm of the rainforest Artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest weapon to be used in the battle to save the world’s endangered rainforests Jamie Hailstone l investigates
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ollowing various controversies involving exams and planning last year, the humble algorithm has become something of a dirty word in Britain. But a new partnership between Hitachi Vantara, a division of the global technology firm Hitachi, and the charity Rainforest Connection has proved that algorithms can be a force for good, particularly when it comes to protecting the environment. The two organisations have teamed up to create an early detection system, which uses a network of sensors that are placed at the top of trees across a rainforest. Using artificial intelligence to analyse the recordings, an algorithm is able to build a model of what the rainforest should normally sound like, called a bio-acoustic signature. The system can then use this signature sound to spot any potential anomalies, and then warn rangers that somebody is in the rainforest and illegal logging might be occurring. ‘We’re putting AI to work for the planet,’ explains Hitachi Vantara’s global co-creation lead for IOT & analytics, Josh Siegel. In terms of rainforest destruction, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that an area the size of an American football field is lost every two seconds. Deforestation can cause the extinction of hundreds of animal and plant species every year, contributing to droughts, and threatening indigenous reserves across multiple continents. It also accounts for 10% of all worldwide carbon emissions, according to the Rainforest Alliance, making it a massive contributor to global warming, with up to 90% of deforestation attributed to illegal logging. ‘Rainforest Connection was founded in 2013 by Topher White,’ explains Mr Siegel. ‘His idea was
to repurpose old mobile phones and hang them in the rainforest. The phones then would upload audio of the rain forest and use an algorithm that they developed to detect the sound of chainsaws. When alerted, the charity would then deploy local law enforcement to stop these illegal loggers.’ However, Rainforest Connection’s entire process to review and verify the files could take up to 14 days and, in some cases, trees are lost by the time rangers arrived on site.
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‘Hitachi Vantara, which is the data and analytics arm of the global Hitachi Group, has a similar mission in that we have a corporate goal of what we call powering good and social innovation. I met Topher two years ago, and I resolved then to figure out how our technology could improve their results. We found a way to dramatically improve the deforestation prevention that they do, using our technology.’ At Hitachi’s conference, NEXT 2019, Hitachi Vantara announced the partnership and donated $250,000 in
Tropher White explaining the technology with a ranger
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International
Tropher White inspecting the monitoring equipment
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cash and in-kind services to Rainforest Connection to support its mission. Using the company’s Lumada data analytics technology, Hitachi Vantara built algorithms that create a baseline of rainforest sounds. This bio-acoustic signature then simplifies and accelerates the process of identifying acoustic anomalies. For example, before starting a chainsaw, loggers will typically scout
knowledge, that a bio-acoustic signature has been baselined, and we can now detect anomalies to that baseline. What that allows us to do is, is predict with 96% accuracy, up to five days in advance when the chainsaws are actually going to start.’ The system is now being used in Sumatra, where over 70% of all deforestation is illegal and the aim is to roll it out to the entire network
appropriate locations in advance. Their presence causes a change in species’ acoustic signatures and signals a disruption to the environment. Hitachi Vantara’s solution detects these advance warnings and alerts rangers in realtime. Rangers who use this technology get up to five days lead time to arrive on site. This head start gives rangers valuable time to pre-position themselves and prevent even more deforestation than they can today. ‘When something enters a rainforest that the animals don’t recognise, the bio-acoustic signature changes,’ adds Mr Siegel. ‘Species that are typically quiet sound alarm calls and some species that typically are vocal, go quiet. This is the first time, to my
of Rainforest Connection guardians, located in more than 11 countries this year. ‘The sounds of the forest are very different at dawn or dusk, versus the middle of the day,’ says Mr Siegel. ‘And all those elements are accounted for. But we see wider applicability for this technology outside of a rain forest environment. Hitachi has a huge industrial footprint. We have 800 or so business units, many of which operate in the industrial space. Whereas acoustic monitoring of individual industrial components is fairly ubiquitous, we now have the ability for the first time, to create to monitor an ecosystem, and that ecosystem could be a rain forest, or it could be a factory floor.’ ‘In this country, we’ve had issues
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with high tension wires causing wildfires out in California. You can envision a scenario with acoustic monitoring on high tension wires, listening for predictors of events that might cause a fire or that indicate a line has snapped, for example.’ ‘We’re also thinking about ocean environments,’ he added. ‘We’ve had preliminary talks with entities who are interested in predicting the movement of ships and submarines, based on reactions or lack of reactions of wildlife in the oceans to those normal events.’ Similar technology has already been deployed here in the UK by many water companies, who now use acoustic microphones or loggers, as they are sometimes known, in pipes to listen for any signs of leakage, with software being used to analyse the
International
recordings and spot warning signs. Mr Siegel adds that although the system has only been up and running in Sumatra for a month, the initial feedback has been ‘very positive.’ ‘We have been collaborating with Hitachi Vantara for the past year on tech development that is going to make it possible to know when there is a threat in the rainforest before the threat even begins,’ says Rainforest Connection’s Mr White. This cuttingedge, game-changing innovation in machine learning model development will make it possible to better protect the world’s rainforests and other at-risk areas, with hundreds of thousands of acres of land and the survival of many species hanging in the balance. ‘The ecoacoustics baseline signature identification model enables us to know when there is a disturbance
in the forest before the first tree is cut or animal is poached, making it possible for rangers to get to the site and take preventative actions. RFCx looks forward to expanding our partnership with Hitachi Vantara to implement this model to create real impact on the ground worldwide in 2021.’ The chief executive officer of Hitachi Vantara, Gajen Kandiah, adds: ‘The rainforest of Sumatra and Silicon Valley may be separated by thousands of miles, but data is the bridge between us, and has to be the foundation for solving some of our planet’s biggest challenges.’ ‘At Hitachi, we believe in the power of data to benefit both business and society. We are immensely proud to partner with Rainforest Connection to make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change.’
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Mr Siegel says using AI to help save the rainforest has been the highlight of his career. ‘It’s a very special thing to be able to do,’ he tells Air Quality News. ‘And the partnership that Hitachi Vantara has with Rainforest Connection is only getting stronger. In 2021, we plan on deploying the enhanced solution, and expanding the partnership.’ ‘AI or machine learning is so impactful across so many different aspects of society. We’ve shown it can be exponentially impactful in this scenario, and it will continue to be so. I’ve spent a career focused on big data, data analytics and data science. I think applying that discipline to climate change, to the environment and social good is the next frontier. There’s a lot of opportunity there.’
Tropher White demonstrating the technology with locals
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Local Government Interview
Ambition to action - could 2021 be a turning point for climate change and localism?
The lead clean growth researcher at Localis, Grace Newcombe, writes on why 2021 could be the ‘environmental super year’ that campaigners have longed for.
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nitially forecast to be a green ‘super year’, and despite Boris’ pledge for a ‘defining year of climate action’, 2020 did not go as anticipated. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns caused rapid change and severe disruption, dashing environmental hopes for the year, namely in the postponement of the Glasgow climate summit (COP26). With government focus rightly directed at controlling the virus, by the end of 2020 there were sizable shortfalls in the government spending and policy needed to reach the UK’s own stated legally binding emissions reductions targets - including the 2050 net zero target. While last year’s policy announcements promised new funding for decarbonisation and a reduction of CO2 emissions, only 16% of the total emissions reductions needed to reach net zero during the fifth carbon budget would be realised. This leaves a formidable amount of emissions to be cut, requiring £22bn in additional annual spending. With the pandemic still raging, 2021 will be a pivotal opportunity for creating a sustainable low-carbon future. Politically we have recently seen more intrepid climate commitments from the UK, the EU and the incoming American president Joe Biden. On the business side, renewable energy investment will exceed that in fossil fuels for the first time ever. With innovation, there is a continuing explosion of climate change solutions coming to the fore. The timing couldn’t be better, as the UK is hosting its biggest event, the global COP26, in November. The significance of COP26 cannot be underestimated. It is the deadline for countries to refresh their climate plans and specify their Nationally Determined Contributions in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement. But beyond that, a UK hosted COP will be critical for the nation. Firstly, UK leadership will shape the outcome of COP26 and have reverberations internationally. Secondly, this will provide an opportunity to create low carbon innovation at home, supporting the 2050 net zero ambitions while paving the way for a green recovery out of the pandemic. A new report by Forum for the Future details a scenario in which the ambitions of a green recovery are realised for the UK. The pandemic could be used by policymakers as an opportunity to ‘reset’ economic models by collaboration with the public and private sector to stimulate a just transition towards net zero. Environmental and social impacts could be properly considered during decision-making processes and integrated into joined-up policy and business frameworks to deliver net-positive impacts. But how can we transcend environmental ambitions to
Grace Newcombe is lead clean growth researcher, Localis
make them a reality? While progress has been made, we must realise that incrementalism is sharkish and malign for UK environmental prosperity. Instead, the way we heat our homes, how we travel and what we eat all need to drastically change. This is where local authorities play a vital role, due to their responsibilities in areas like housing, transport and green spaces, and their convening power, influence and local knowledge. We know local authorities are ready to mobilise - three quarters of councils have declared a climate emergency. The importance of a green recovery is recognised, through rebuilding local economies alongside the wider benefits such as safe and clean streets, affordable domestic heating and better jobs. Announcing its sixth Carbon Budget, the Climate Change Committee said: ‘Top-down policies go some way to delivering change, but can achieve a far greater impact if they are focused through local knowledge and networks’. But heading into 2021, councils are desperately underfunded and under-resourced. They must be given new powers, funding and support by central government to initiate the environmental action that only they can, and at the scale and pace needed to address the ecological and societal emergencies. Although 2020 did not result in the anticipated super year for the environment, we cannot deny the elevated ecological awareness and the subsequent recognition that a green recovery from Covid is the only recovery that makes economic sense. Fundamentally, the ability of local authorities to respond most effectively and accurately in a crisis, be that Covid or climate, while still meeting local needs cannot be ignored any further. For 2021 to be the environmental ‘super’ year which 2020 failed to be, ambition needs serious spending commitments and quantifiable action towards local authorities, who will be the drivers of a green and just recovery.
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Local Government Feature
Whatever happened to the ‘golden age of cycling’ The summer of 2020 saw local authorities around the country install temporary bicycle lanes, but why did some of them hit the brakes? Jamie Hailstone investigates
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ast year might be one many want to forget, but cast your minds back if you dare, to last summer and the ‘golden age of cycling’. First, there was the announcement last May that the government was to release £250m to councils for the reallocation of road space to active travel measures, like pop-up bikes lanes, as more people started to walk and cycle in their local areas. And then last July, prime minister Boris Johnson said it was time to ‘shift gears and press ahead’ as he unveiled a £2bn cycling and walking revolution. With the offer of funding to introduce what are often classed as either ‘temporary’ or ‘experimental’ measures, many local authorities applied for funding last summer from
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the Department for Transport (DfT), and once successful began installing cycle lanes. However, six months on and a decidedly mixed picture has emerged. Take for example, West Sussex County Council, which in June was given the green light by DfT to install six temporary cycle lanes across the county. Construction work on the first temporary cycle lane in Chichester started in mid-July and work on the others swiftly followed. But by the end of the year, five of the six temporary cycle lanes had gone and last month (January 2021), the county council announced work had started to remove the last remaining lane in Shoreham. ‘The government-funded cycleway in Shoreham – just like the five other
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pop-up cycleways in West Sussex – was always designed to be temporary,’ says a county council spokesman. ‘It fulfilled its original purpose, which was to encourage cycling as an alternative method of travel when public transport capacity was vastly reduced in the first national lockdown.’ The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea found itself making headlines in the national newspapers after a temporary cycle lane along Kensington High Street attracted criticism from local businesses and residents. The lane was opened in October and then removed at the beginning of December, but following representations from various groups in the borough, councillors are due to reconsider the decision in March.
Local Government Feature
Others have proved to be much less controversial, like the two pop-up cycle lanes introduced by Coventry City Council, which both remain in place. But why did some schemes fare better than others? Looking back, Cycling UK’s policy director, Roger Geffen, says some local authorities ‘gave up on schemes too early’ and that in some cases, the funding came too late to capitalise on what happened during the first lockdown. ‘By August and September, lockdown was easing and the government was trying to get the economy going, which meant traffic levels revived quite quickly,’ Mr Geffen tells Air Quality News. ‘The idea of going out cycling with kids was getting back to its normal implausible state of affairs. ‘We know some schemes attracted vocal opposition, but in several of those cases, we know it was a minority opposition, whipped up by some sections of the media. The Daily Mail referred to the Kensington High Street scheme as being deeply unpopular, but it wasn’t. We know from public opinion surveys there is widespread public support for cycling infrastructure, not just from cyclists, but from drivers as well.’ This is a point backed up by a survey issued by Cycling UK in November, which claimed that people overestimate public opposition to cycle lanes by more than 50%. ‘This is something we’ve seen before,’ reflects Mr Geffen. ‘The idea of some sections of the media manufacturing public opinion, rather than reflecting it. They did this before, 15 years ago, when they whipped up hostility to speed cameras and 20 MPH speed limits, despite consistent evidence that such measures had always had 75% public support. The effect that has is that the section of the public who do actually hate such schemes think they have public support, and go out and vandalise speed cameras or planters.’ The chair of ADEPT’s transport and connectivity board, Mark Kemp, says there was a ‘tight turnaround’ last summer in terms of bidding for money from DfT and putting in the necessary changes, but at the time it was ‘very
welcomed by local authorities and ADEPT because it fits in with our vision of where we need to go to respond to the UK climate targets ’. Mr Kemp says one of the biggest challenges was ‘bringing the community along with us’ because of the timeframe. ‘What we really need is those who are positive about these kinds of measures to be more vocal,’ Mr Kemp tells Air Quality News. ‘The normal experience is that people will respond to a consultation if they are not happy with something. Generally speaking, they don’t respond if they think it’s a good idea. So, it’s always been difficult to understand how the whole community feels about the scheme.’ Mr Kemp adds one of the key lessons learnt is that transport authorities need to become better at ‘telling the story’ about why measures
‘That’s not just about moving to electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, it’s also about people moving away from using those sorts of vehicles where appropriate and using active travel.’ ‘The challenge is always that we need individuals to make choices. So, we’ve started to engage with our behavioural science colleagues in terms of the introduction of these measures.’ ‘Historically, what we have done as local highway authorities is put in a facility and assume because the facility is there, people will use it. We need to work out what are the drivers to encourage people to make changes. So, working with our behavioural science colleagues, we need to work on helping people choose the right mode for the right journey, and that will enable us to focus on delivering against the climate targets we all
like cycle lanes are being put in place. ‘For example, we put a cycle lane in here in Hertfordshire, which received some criticisms. But there is going to be new housing development, just around the corner, from the lane and the long-term aspiration is that it will benefit the community there.’ ‘If we’re going to hit the 2050 climate change targets, transport has to virtually get to the point where it’s carbon neutral,’ adds Mr Kemp.
aspire to.’ And despite some setbacks, Mr Geffen says he believes that ‘overall’ the measures were successful. ‘It fits in with wider ambitions to tackle air quality, physical activity and climate change,’ he tells Air Quality News. ‘This is now an issue which has backing from Number 10 and Boris Johnson in a way that cycling has never had before.’ Roll on the next chapter of the ‘golden age of cycling’ then.
airqualitynews.com
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Legislation
The Environment Bill – How will air quality be protected and who will hold public authorities to account if it is not? Rob Biddlecombe and Anita Lloyd, from Squire Patton Boggs’ environmental, safety and health practice put the Environment Bill under the microscope
T
he Environment Bill, which is completing its passage through Parliament, represents the government’s vision of a post-Brexit UK framework for environmental regulation and governance. The government has promised that the Bill will deliver cleaner air for all, but how will this be achieved and what happens if it is not? Clean air targets and other protections in the Bill Under clauses 1 and 2, by 31 October 2022, the Secretary of State (SoS) must have established: • a long-term (minimum 15 years) air quality target for England by 31 October 2022; and • a target for the annual mean level of PM2.5 in ambient air for England. These targets are in addition to existing requirements, such as under the national air quality strategy (NAQS) and Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) system. Both targets will be legally binding on the SoS, who will be required to report to Parliament on whether they have been achieved. Before setting these targets, the SoS will be required to take advice from independent experts, and be satisfied that the targets are achievable. The SoS must also review the targets at least every 5 years to ascertain whether they significantly improve the natural environment in England. The SoS may revoke or lower the targets if satisfied either that meeting the existing targets would have no significant benefit compared with not meeting them or with meeting lower targets, or that changes in circumstances since the targets were set mean that the environmental, social, economic or other costs of meeting them would be disproportionate to the benefits. Clause 7 requires the SoS to prepare an environmental improvement plan (EIP) for England to significantly improve the natural environment. Each EIP must be no less than 15 years long and DEFRA’s current 25 year plan, which includes clean air goals, will be the first EIP. The SoS must report annually on progress in implementing the EIP and the extent to which the environment has improved. The EIP must be reviewed every five years and, in doing so, the SoS must set interim targets, including for air quality. The SoS should only revise interim targets where meeting the revised target would make an appropriate contribution towards the targets under clauses 1 or 2. Part 4 allows the SoS to make regulations for the recall of relevant products (including vehicles) not achieving
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airqualitynews.com
relevant legal emission standards. Schedule 11 amends the Environment Act 1995 relating to air quality and requires the SoS to review and, if appropriate, modify the NAQS initially within 12 months and, thereafter, at least every five years. The SoS must also report annually to Parliament on progress in delivering air quality objectives in England. Other amendments promote greater local cooperation and broaden the range of organisations involved in the LAQM. Schedule 12 amends provisions in the Clean Air Act 1993 by replacing the criminal offence of emitting smoke from a chimney in a smoke control area with a civil penalty regime. Previously available defences will be scrapped, thereby facilitating easier enforcement. Other amendments create offences relating to the purchase and sale of controlled solid fuel in smoke control areas in England. Enforcement The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will replace the EU Commission as the UK’s environmental watchdog post-Brexit. Its duties include monitoring and reporting progress under the EIP and towards meeting targets set under sections 1 and 2. The OEP will also handle complaints alleging breaches of environmental law by public authorities. The OEP may request further information from a public authority where it has reasonable grounds to suspect that the authority has breached environmental law. Where satisfied that the public authority is in serious non-compliance, it may serve a decision notice setting out the steps to be taken (which may include steps to remedy, mitigate or prevent reoccurrence of the failure). In serious or urgent cases, the OEP may also seek environmental or judicial review. However, unlike the Commission, the OEP cannot seek damages against the public authority, which clearly limits its effectiveness as a regulator. Furthermore, there are concerns about the independence of the OEP, because the SoS will set its budget and appoint its chair. In summary, improving air quality forms a central goal of the Environment Bill. However, air quality improvement requires consistent long-term action and there is scope within the Bill for ambitious targets and plans to be diluted over the years, perhaps by successive SoS, for political convenience. Furthermore, the OEP’s ability to hold public bodies to account for failing to meet air quality requirements may be undermined given its inability to seek damages for breaches and the control that the government exercises over it.
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Em-Monitors (Environmental Monitoring) is a specialist provider and manufacturer of a range of environmental monitoring equipment. We recognise the need to minimise cost by providing accurate and meaningful data remotely to any location in the world. Our air monitoring systems cover indicative indoor and air quality systems as well as reference system required to report to national standards. Environmental Monitoring also provide workplace monitoring equipment and training, so that you can produce professional reports with confidence. Environmental Monitoring covers all your environmental monitoring requirements.
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