Transcript Action Planning for Air Quality Improvements

Action Planning for Air Quality Improvements:
Comparative Perspectives - UK
Reducing the Impact of Vehicles on Air &
Environmental Quality in Cities
Session 4: Planning and Implementation
Constraints
22-23 January 2004, Mexico City
Professor Jim Longhurst and Mrs Nicky Woodfield
Air Quality Research Group
University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Action Planning for Air Quality Improvements:
Comparative Perspectives - UK
• Air Quality Management
• Introduction to European & UK Frameworks
• Air Quality Action Plans & Strategies
• Importance of Planning Frameworks & Governance
• UK Experiences
• Experiences from International Programmes
• Conclusions & key messages
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
What is Air Quality Management ?
The application of a systematic approach to the
control of air quality issues in which all the factors
determining air quality are considered in an
integrated, proportionate and cost-effective manner
based upon sound science and by reference to
health-effects based air quality criteria.
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
The Problem
• Air quality problems have been an inescapable
partner of economic development.
• Our social, political and economic responses to air
pollution have often lagged behind our awareness
and understanding of the impact of pollution.
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
The UK Problem
Improved fuel efficiency, introduction of catalytic
converters, improved vehicle technologies, but:
• National policies struggling to address air quality
consequences of growth in vehicle numbers & mileage
• From 17.4 to 26.7m registrations between 1986 & 2000
• 82% of journeys by mileage are made by car
• Balancing public expectations of personal mobility &
accessibility, with clean atmosphere posing no risk to
public health
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Air Quality Management in Europe
• Ambient Air Quality Assessment & Management
Directive 96/62/EC
• Framework under which EU agrees Limit Values
(Daughter Directives)
• European Directives transposition into Member
State legislation
• Limit Values legally binding
• Specific locations designated for action
• Action Plan at national level
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Problems for Europe
• Urban traffic congestion costs in excess of €100B
each year (likely to double over next 10 years)
• Local and trans-boundary pollution and
subsequent health impacts impose similar costs
• Urban transport contributes 14%
of all CO2 generated in Europe
DISTILLATE Scoping Proposal 2003: University of Leeds, University of
York, University of Westminster, U.W.E., Bristol, TRL Ltd.
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
UK Air Quality Regime: A Case Study
• Primary legislation - Environment Act 1995
• National Air Quality Strategy
• Health-based air quality objectives
• Scientific periodic Review and Assessment
• Local implementation by local authorities
• Identification of Air Quality Management Areas
• Action Plans in locations where objectives are not
going to be met
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Outcomes from UK experience
• ~25% of UK local authorities with AQMAs
• Predicted exceedences of the National Air Quality
Objectives: 91% (NO2), 45% (PM10), 6% (SO2)
• Emission sources: 95% traffic, 9% industrial, 1%
domestic, some shipping problems
• London Boroughs, small market towns, rural
hotspots, motorway corridors
• More effective communication, collaboration and
consultation between and within tiers of
government and with stakeholders has emerged
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Lessons learnt from the UK
• Elements of the process judged to work well
– training provision & support,
– guidance, internet support,
– high quality monitoring network
• Not enough integration with wider policies & plans
at national, regional and local levels (i.e. transport
planning, land-use planning, community planning,
Local Agenda 21 or sustainability Plans )
• Timescales of AQM process & transport planning
(5-year cycles) & land-use planning (10-20 years)
are very different
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Air Quality Action Planning
Action
Planning
Procedures
AQ
improvements
Identify AQO exceedences
DECLARE AQMA
Identify sources
CONSIDER OPTIONS
Costeffectiveness
Non-AQ
impacts
Perceptions and
practicabilities
PRIORITISING
OPTIONS
AQAP
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Air Quality Action Planning
• To clarify overall extent of AQO exceedences and
declare AQMA(s)
• Undertake Further Review of air quality within the
AQMA(s)
• Consider specific criteria:
 air quality improvement actually required
 source apportionment
 early consideration of potential options & their costeffectiveness
 practicalities of implementing option
• Evaluating & monitoring effectiveness of Plan
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Air Quality Action Planning
Importance of collaboration & integration of
wider policies
• Industry regulators, trunk road operators,
health authorities all need to be involved
• Air quality improvements will require
integration with a variety of policy packages
• Local Transport Plans, Local Plans, Sustainability
Plans, Community Planning
• Regional Planning: Economic Development,
Health Action Zones
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Air Quality Strategies
Importance & Significance of non-statutory
opportunities
• Help ensure air quality considerations accounted for
across all local authority policies and procedures
• Address non-Strategy pollutants (e.g. greenhouse
gases, dioxins, dusts
• Provide framework for reviewing new pollutants,
new air quality objectives, review of National Air
Quality Strategy
• Take into account the increasing understanding of
science and technology and socio-economic issues
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Air Quality Strategies
• Address regional pollution sources (major
highways, airports, industrial complexes)
• Inclusion of regional policies & planning processes
– Environment Agency Zones of Industrial
Pollution
– Regional Planning Processes
– Health Implementation Plans
• Help foster partnership between & within local
authorities
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Importance of Planning Frameworks
Role of Planning in Action Plans & Strategies
• Air quality as a material planning consideration
• Consideration of a development’s likely effect in terms
of direct emissions & traffic generated emissions
• Land-use planning frameworks
– Strategic Planning
– Local, Unitary & Structure Planning
– Master Planning, Development Control
• Transport Planning Frameworks
– Local Transport Plans
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Multi-layered Governance in the UK
• Central Government & Devolved Administrations
– Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
– Department for Transport (DfT)
– Ten Year Transport Plan
• Regional Government
– Regional Planning
• Local Government
– Unitary, one-tier, two-tier government
– Local Planning (Local, Unitary and Structure Plans)
– Local Transport Plans
• Plan overload !
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Towards Sustainable Cities . . .
‘City managers must seek to meet the social
and economic needs of urban residents
while respecting local, regional and global
natural systems, solving problems locally
where possible, rather than shifting them to
other spatial locations or passing them on to
the future’.
The European Sustainable Cities Report
(europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/home_en.htm)
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Action Planning:
Tackling the transport problem
• Focus on reducing numbers of vehicles and
reducing demand for road space
• Emission control measures
– Engine efficiency & cleaner fuels
– Fiscal measures & advice
– Low Emission Zones
• Traffic management measures or combination
– Public transport initiatives
– Telematic technology
• Local Actions
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Traffic Emissions:
Engine Efficiency & Cleaner Fuels
• EU Auto-Oil programme introduced increasingly
stringent emissions standards for cars & light vans
being applied to all new vehicles (Euro III from
2001 and Euro IV from 2006)
• Earlier Euro I & II helped reduce emissions of PM10
and NOx from road transport by 50% between 1990
& 2000
• The trend expected to slow down considerably
from 2010 though, as engine & fuel improvements
offset by continuing traffic growth
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Traffic Emissions:
Fiscal Measures & Advice
• UK Government use of cleaner fuels & engines
through domestic lower tax bands for cleaner fuels
& cheaper road tax for smaller-engined cars
• Cleaner Vehicles Task Force (CVTF) advises on
specific measures to reduce emissions from
vehicles (government greener fleet certification
scheme) to make business-related transport more
efficient
• Powershift provides grants to help companies &
individuals convert conventional vehicles to run on
alternative fuels
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Emission Control Measures &
Transport Management Measures
Emission controls:
– End of pipe technology (fitting particle traps)
– Alternative fuel use (e.g. LPG, methane or hydrogen)
– Enforcing emissions standards (e.g. Low Emission Zone)
Transport Management Measures:
– Public transport improvements (Park & Ride, bus priority
lanes, Bus Quality Partnerships)
– Parking permits
– Telematic technology to link urban traffic control systems
with local air quality management systems
– Electronic charging
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Action Planning: Local Actions
• Promoting mixed-use developments
• Planning measures
– Home Zones, 20mph zones, Clear Zones
– Local Plans, Local Transport Plans
• Access Restrictions
– Low Emission Zones, Congestion Charging
– Pedestrian areas, local traffic calming
– High Pollution Episodes
• Traffic Control
– Urban Traffic Management & Control systems (UTMC)
– Parking Restrictions, speed limits
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Action Planning: Local Actions
• Local campaigns
• Green Travel Plans
• Local actions to address school runs
• Health Improvement Programmes
• Local emissions testing
• Work-place parking
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Examples of International
Programmes
• ASIA URBS: Improving Management and
Supporting Guidelines in Air Quality in
Metropolitan Cities (Bangkok, Athens and Bristol)
(2 year project)
• DISTILLATE: Design and Implementation Support
Tools for Integrated Local Land Use, Transport
and the Environment (UK) (Scoping study completed - 4
year programme)
• INTEGAIRE: Integrated Urban Governance and Air
Quality Management in Europe (9 cities) (3 year
project)
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
ASIA URBS
Improving Management & Supporting Guidelines
in Air Quality in Metropolitan Cities
(Bangkok, Athens & Bristol)
A Strategy to improve mutual awareness &
understanding between European Union & Asia
– Raise the profile of Europe in Asia & enhance economic cooperation between the two continents
– Promote decentralisation (city-to-city) co-operation between the
two regions
Two main aims:
– To provide co-funding to local government partnerships to
undertake urban development projects
– To encourage the networking of these projects to share
knowledge and experience
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
ASIA URBS
OBJECTIVES:
• To improve local understanding of AQM in all 3 cities
• To establish mechanisms for exchange of Best
Practice in air quality management between partners
• To train representatives from Bangkok in European
AQM techniques
• To produce series of Best Practice guidance for
Bangkok’s administration
• To assist Bangkok in producing a local Air Quality
Action Plan
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
DISTILLATE
Design and Implementation Support Tools for Integrated Local
Land Use, Transport and the Environment
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) consortia to study Sustainable
Urban Form
• 1 of 4 consortia to work with industry & government
to develop fundamental understanding of key landuse & transport sustainability issues ...
‘Focusing on the development of novel
and enhanced design, appraisal and
implementation tools & on the integrated
approaches to which they would be applied’
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
DISTILLATE
AIM: to undertake research with local authorities
and related organisations to achieve a step
change in development & delivery of sustainable
integrated urban transport & land-use strategies
PRINCIPLE OBJECTIVE: to develop ways of
overcoming the barriers to effective
implementation of sustainable schemes
TASKS: to identify barriers & priorities for
overcoming them; identity appropriate case
studies
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
INTEGAIRE
Integrated Urban Governance & Air Quality
Management in Europe
• To improve the quality of life in all cites and towns,
while promoting sustainable development assessed
in economic, environmental, social & cultural terms
• Facilitating a better understanding of urban
decision-making
• Improve urban air quality (AQ) management through
recommendations on
– urban governance
– integration of AQ management with land-use & transport
planning
– implementation of the new EU AQ legislation.
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
INTEGAIRE
Recommendations developed for 3 target groups:
• Cities: recommendations for air quality
professionals aimed at improving good practice at
the urban level
• Clean Air For Europe (CAFÉ): recommendations aim
at improving the usefulness and effectiveness of EU
level measures fir the urban level.
• Research Community and DG Research at the
European Commission: recommendations for future
research needs
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Potential for Application of UK regime
in Non-European Cities
• Certain elements are clearly transferable
• Health-based objectives and risk-based approach
• LAQM can be integrated into objectives of
decentralisation
• Need to consider rapid socio-economic & political
changes
• Institutional arrangements critical to the success
• National support structures
– prescriptive guidance, training
– monitoring networks
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Action Planning Challenges
• 57% of Londoners think London is unhealthy to
live in
• 50% see AQ as a priority for London Mayor
• Action Plans are inevitably determined by local
circumstances
• Assessing wider socio-economic impacts
challenging
• Significant transport initiatives or major
decreases in industrial emissions will be required
to achieve the objectives
(Air Quality Strategy for London)
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Action Planning Conclusions
• Localised problems require unique packages of
measures - few situations where one measures
will solve the local air quality problem
• Support of politicians vital
• Cost-effectiveness of actions is
an important consideration
• Urban locations not the only focus of problem
areas
• Think about funding and resources early in the
process
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Useful references
UK Official Government Guidance on Developing
Action Plans and Strategies
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/laqm/guidance/
Informal guidance on Air Quality Action Planning
(National Society for Clean Air & Environmental
Protection)
www.uwe.ac.uk/aqm/centre/aqaps/index.html
www.nsca.org.uk
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK
Final message . . .
(Thanks to
York City
Council, UK)
Air Quality Research Group, U.W.E., Bristol, UK