Tag: air pollution

Low Emission Zone enforcement begins in Edinburgh tomorrow

A scheme that restricts the most polluting vehicles entering the city centre of the Capital will be enforced from tomorrow (1 June).

A Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) was introduced in Edinburgh on 31 May 2022, along with LEZs in Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee, restricting the most polluting vehicles and benefiting everyone’s health. In Edinburgh, a two-year grace period was in place, meaning no penalty charges were issued during this time.

The LEZ ensures that all vehicles driving within Edinburgh’s LEZ must meet the less-polluting emission standards or face a penalty charge. A map of the LEZ is available on the Council’s website.

It is anticipated that the LEZ will significantly reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen dioxide from vehicles. Furthermore, air quality improvements are expected beyond the boundary, which will further improve public health. 

LEZ restrictions will apply to motor vehicles, except motorcycles and mopeds. Vehicles must meet the minimum emissions standards to drive within the zone, though national exemptions apply including for blue badge holders and emergency vehicles. Individuals can check whether their vehicle is compliant on the LEZ Scotland website.

For contraventions of the LEZ, the Council will issue Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) fines, in line with Scottish Government regulations, from 00:01 on 1 June 2024. Full details of LEZ penalties are available online.

The Scottish Government is also providing £5m across Scotland to reopen the LEZ Support Fund for 2024-25 where residents and businesses can apply for support to ease the transition through retrofitting, disposal and other grants. Over the past three years people in the Edinburgh region benefited from £2.4m of grant support to prepare for the LEZ.

Changes have also been made to roads to allow drivers with vehicles that don’t meet the standards to avoid the entering the LEZ. These include key junctions in the Old Town (junction of Pleasance with Holyrood Road), and Tollcross, as well as changes to Morrison Street.

The LEZ forms part of the city’s wider ambitions under our 2030 Climate Strategy and other schemes such as the City Mobility Plan and the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Scott Arthur said: “I’m proud that we’ve reached this important milestone in our journey to become a healthier, greener, and more sustainable city. For the past two years we’ve run a positive information campaign to give people time to get ready for the LEZ, and to make sure they avoid penalties once enforcement begins.

“We have ambitious plans to achieve net zero, accommodate sustainable growth, cut congestion, and improve air quality, amongst other commitments to create a safer and more people-friendly city; and the LEZ is a key component of these.

“Public attitudes towards LEZs are improving across Scotland, with a recent poll indicating that 60% of respondents were in favour of the zones, with just 21% opposed. This is clear evidence that people are seeing the many benefits of LEZs, and how they link in with our wider aims to make our city cleaner, greener and healthier for everyone.

“Alongside Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Dundee we’re sending a clear message that our major cities are united in pursuing a better future for all.

“And as Scotland’s capital city, we have a duty to lead on these key climate issues which will define our country for generations to come.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop said: “I’m pleased that Edinburgh is protecting public health and improving air quality through their Low Emission Zone.  

“This bold action mirrors the decisive measures we’ve seen in towns and cities right across Europe. There are now over 320 similar schemes in effect which respond to the latest medical understanding concerning the dangerous effects of air pollution from vehicle emissions.

“To help those that need it most, the Scottish Government has provided over £16m to help people and businesses to comply with LEZs. Support remains available and I would encourage anyone who wants to know if their vehicle is compliant, or to find out more about funding, to visit www.lowemissionzones.scot.”

Consultant in Public Health at NHS Lothian, Flora Ogilvie said: “Reducing air pollution has clear long and short-term health benefits for everyone but is especially important for vulnerable groups. NHS Lothian welcomes the introduction of the Low Emission Zone and wider actions to encourage walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport use.

“We encourage our staff, patients and visitors to travel sustainably wherever possible, for the benefit of their own health and that of the wider community. We have been working to get our fleet of vehicles ready and make sure our staff are aware of the enforcement date.”

Policy and Public Affairs Manager at British Heart Foundation Scotland, Jonathan Roden said: “Air pollution is a public health emergency. Our research has shown that air pollutants can have a damaging impact on people’s heart and circulatory health.

“Each year up to 700 deaths from heart and circulatory disease in Scotland are attributable to particulate matter pollution. That’s why BHF Scotland welcomes the implementation of Edinburgh’s LEZ, which will help to improve the capital’s air quality and help to protect people’s health.”

Chair of Healthy Air Scotland, and Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Asthma + Lung UK Scotland, Gareth Brown said: “With 1 in 5 Scots developing a lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in their lifetime, for them, air pollution can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and flare-ups.

“Children are more susceptible to air pollution as their lungs are still growing, and they also breathe faster than adults. As they grow, toxic air can stunt the growth of their lungs, making them less resilient into adulthood and placing them at greater risk of lung disease in the future. 

“Public health focussed policies like LEZs are seen as the most effective tool, but we would like to see policies that go further, helping to clear up pollution hotspots throughout the country, not just in our four main cities. It is vitally important that we protect the lungs and health of our communities, no one should be forced to breathe in toxic air.”

Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot

A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth

  • Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot
  • A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) is urging the Scottish Government to take forward its proposal to monitor air quality around urban schools in Scotland.

The College’s costed pilot proposal would see air quality monitors placed for a year in up to three schools, within 50m of those schools, in each of five Scottish cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. The pilot would therefore see up to 15 schools across Scottish cities taking part.

Last year, the College called for air quality monitors to be placed at all city primary schools in Scotland for a period of at least a year, in its submission of evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

The pilot idea was developed by the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health. It has now been submitted to the Scottish Government following positive discussions with government officials last year. Members of the Working Group highlighted the lack of data on air quality around schools despite the knowledge that air pollution can pose serious health risks to children.

As part of the working group’s preparation of the pilot proposal, clinicians plotted the distances between primary and secondary schools in these five city areas and existing air quality monitors.

The group found that from the 337 primary and 94 secondary schools examined, only one primary school was within 50m of a PM (particulate matter) monitor and only 2 primary schools were within 100m of a NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) monitor.

There were no secondary schools within 100m of either type of monitor.

Professor Jill Belch, Co-lead of the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, and Professor of Vascular Medicine at the University of Dundee, said: “Science has provided robust evidence that children are significantly harmed by air pollution, with sometimes tragic results.

“Whilst lung disease in children is widely recognised as a result of breathing polluted air, less well known to the public, but equally important, are the effects of this pollution on the developing organs within a child.

“For example, exposure to polluted air in childhood has been shown to reduce brain cognitive function in a number of key ways. Further, and of concern, is that children appear to become unwell at lower levels of pollutants than do adults.

“ At present the early work conducted by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh suggests that few school have air quality monitors nearby, so we do not actually know how well or otherwise, our children are protected. It is therefore imperative that we ensure air quality around schools is within regulatory levels, and the College’s proposal to the Scottish Government can start this process.”

Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the other Co-Lead of the Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, said: “ There is overwhelming evidence that air pollution can have a wide range of detrimental health impacts on our children including problems with the lung, heart, brain and immune and hormonal systems.

“We also know that there is a correlation between areas of high deprivation and poor air quality and this can exacerbate pre-existing health inequalities in children and young people.

“ We are concerned at the lack of data on air quality around urban schools in Scotland- with the vast majority of urban air quality monitors currently sited too far away from schools-  and believe we must collect as much accurate school level data as possible so we can have an evidence base for action.

“The College hopes that the Scottish Government will consider our proposal positively and we remain committed to working constructively with it and all other stakeholders so that we can better understand the levels of air pollution around our schools and subsequently support implementing mitigation measures where these are required.”

Mike Corbett, National Official (Scotland) for the NASUWT said: “Thousands of people die each year because of occupational diseases caused by air pollution at work. Pollution arising from work and travel to work are health issues for which employers currently take little responsibility.  

“Air pollution impacts workers and their families at all stages from before birth to old age and is particularly damaging to the growth and development of babies and children. 

“ Being able to quantify the scale of the problem around our schools is the first step to cleaning up the air we and our children breathe and moving towards a heathier and safer future.  NASUWT is therefore very pleased to endorse and support this proposal for pilot air quality monitoring around schools.”

Laura Tobin helps to raise awareness of link between air pollution and lung cancer in people who have never smoked 

The weather presenter is backing ScottishPower’s support for Cancer Research UK studies which are uncovering how air pollution causes lung cancer in people who have never smoked.  

ScottishPower has welcomed Laura Tobin to its Whitelee Windfarm – the largest onshore windfarm in the UK – to help raise awareness about air pollution, its impact on lung cancer and the need for more research. 

The TV meteorologist, whose own family has been impacted by cancer, is backing the leading renewable energy company’s support of Cancer Research UK’s studies which are investigating the link between lung cancer in people who have never smoked and air pollution.  

In the UK, it is estimated that nearly 6,000 people who have never smoked die of lung cancer each year*. Research estimates that lung cancer in people who have never smoked is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in the UK*. Outdoor air pollution causes around 1 in 10 cases of lung cancer. 

ScottishPower has been a long-standing supporter of Cancer Research UK for over ten years and is covering the cost of the TOPICAL study, which hopes to help scientists better understand the link between air pollution and lung cancer. Insights from this research could shape new ways to diagnose and treat lung cancer in people who have never smoked. 

Led by Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Clinician and Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute, the study is examining the role of tiny particles in the air called PM2.5, which are derived in part from burning solid and liquid fuels. Professor Swanton and his team are looking at the relationship between these tiny air pollution particles and cases of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.  

Results from Professor Swanton’s lab** suggest that PM2.5 pollution can awaken dormant cells in the lungs carrying cancer-causing mutations, which go on to become tumours. This game-changing discovery could open new ways to prevent and treat lung cancer in people who have never smoked in the future.  

The support of this project is part of ScottishPower’s ongoing partnership with Cancer Research UK, which since 2012 has seen more than £35m raised to help beat cancer sooner – and they aren’t stopping there. 

Laura Tobin said: “Air pollution is invisible to the human eye, yet it can have a considerable effect on our health. Being at a place like Whitelee Windfarm really brings clean air to the forefront of your mind and makes you realise its importance. 

“I know from my own personal experience how important it is for us to understand how cancer starts, grows and spreads, so we can find new ways to beat it. ScottishPower’s support of Cancer Research UK’s innovative research on air pollution is breaking new ground in our understanding of lung cancer.  

“The funding ScottishPower has provided to Cancer Research UK over many years is vital to bringing forward the day when we beat cancer.” 

Whitelee is the UK’s largest onshore windfarm and is a vital part of Scotland and the UK’s transition to a clean energy future. It was awarded with a prestigious Green Flag award for its benefit to the local community and role in providing a positive, environmentally-friendly location. 

Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Clinician, said: “Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is more common than many people realise, and we need to understand it better.  

“Previously, we had thought that environmental carcinogens, like air pollution, directly mutated our DNA to cause cancer. But our research has revealed a new way in which air pollution can set off another molecular chain of events that leads to cancer. 

“This finding wouldn’t have happened without funding from Cancer Research UK and partners like ScottishPower. ScottishPower’s unwavering support of Cancer Research UK is helping us work towards a world where people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.” 

Andrew Ward, CEO of ScottishPower Retail, said: “ScottishPower is committed to leading the fight against climate change, but we’re also committed to playing a leading role in the fight against cancer. 

“The simple fact is that we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, both for our planet and our health. At ScottishPower we’re investing heavily in clean, green electricity generation, as well as providing decarbonisation solutions for households and business, including solar panels, heat pumps and electric vehicle solutions. 

“I had the pleasure of listening to Professor Swanton when he visited us at ScottishPower HQ and it’s fantastic to hear how our partnership is helping to support such ground-breaking research. 

“Working with Laura Tobin at our iconic Whitelee Windfarm provides a really striking link to clean air to help us all understand the importance of combating air pollution and better understanding the impact it has on us. 

“I’m thrilled that studies we’ve helped to fund are already aiding research breakthroughs and we’re committed to working in partnership with Cancer Research UK in the years to come to help beat cancer sooner.” 

To find out more about ScottishPower’s partnership and support of Cancer Research UK, please visit: scottishpower.co.uk 

Air quality watchdog says councils aren’t doing enough to protect health

Campaigners have welcomed a report from an independent body that reveals air pollution in Scotland isn’t being dealt with.

Friends of the Earth Scotland say the report, from Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) – the body that scrutinises environmental law – shows that air pollution problems go far beyond the biggest cities and that councils and the Scottish Government are failing to address it.

This morning (Thursday 29 September) the report was presented in the Scottish Parliament, and the Scottish Government will now respond to the report’s findings.

The recommended measures from ESS will require local authorities to prepare plans for improving air quality in local areas with specific actions and dates. 

Scotland has breached air pollution legal limits for many years, particularly for nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant from diesel vehicle exhausts.

Gavin Thomson, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “We have known for decades the devastating health impacts caused by pollution from Scotland’s roads.

“Traffic fumes cause heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory problems like asthma. There’s also mounting evidence on the risks to cognitive function from the air we breathe, including links with dementia. 

“We have seen very little action to address the huge damage to public health caused by air pollution. The four Low Emission Zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen will be completed in 2024, a full 14 years after Scotland first breached legal limits for diesel pollution. 

“There are huge gaps in policy and governance that this report from ESS has identified. The report explains that dangerous air pollution problems persist in areas outside our biggest cities. Suburban towns such as Blantyre and Johnstone are highlighted as having recently breached legal limits, so Low Emission Zones in our biggest cities cant solve the problem. 

“We need action from the Government and councils to limit car use, bring buses back into public ownership to restore lost routes, and make it much easier and safer to walk and cycle.”

ESS-AIR-QUALITY-INVESTIGATION-REPORTDownload

Mobile air pollution exhibit goes on display at Leith Library

A mobile exhibit, highlighting the science and issues around air pollution and air quality, is on display in Edinburgh this summer.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Glasgow Science Centre launched the touring exhibition in 2020, aiming to highlight the importance of air quality. It will be on display until the end of August at Leith Library.

The interactive exhibit encourages visitors of all ages to think about their local environment and the quality of the air, how poor air quality can affect them and their family and how we can all help to improve air quality through our daily choices. The interactive exhibit also uses a bespoke tool which allows visitors to share their thoughts on the environments they live and work in, and what can be done to improve air quality.

The exhibit uses a simulation model to control traffic and allow users to experience how different types of transport contribute to air pollution. At the same time, the interactive display provides information on the various sources of air pollution and how it can affect our health and wellbeing.

Dr Colin Gillespie, SEPA’s Air Modelling Unit Manager, said: “Reducing air pollution and its associated health impacts is a challenge we should all be mindful of. We all contribute to sources of air pollution through our day-to-day activities and all breathe the same air, so we all have a part to play in improving air quality, no matter how small our actions may seem.

“This mobile exhibition highlights how individuals can take steps to help improve the quality of life both for ourselves and our wider communities and the simulation demonstrates the different ways the quality of the air we breathe can be impacted.”

Transport and Environment Convener at The City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Scott Arthur, said: “This fascinating and engaging exhibition will really get people thinking about the impacts of poor air quality on our lives, and the choices we can make to limit this. 

“Earlier this year I was proud to launch the Low Emission Zone in Edinburgh as this will reduce air pollution across the city. This is just one of a number of tools the Council is using to tackle poor air quality, from improvements to its vehicles to better infrastructure supporting cleaner modes of transport like walking and cycling, and for Leithers the Tram to Newhaven. What’s more, people using Lothian Buses can be reassured it has one of the cleanest fleets in the UK. 

“Visiting this interactive exhibition at Leith Library will provide an insight into the need to make these kinds of changes for the good of all in our city.”

Dr Gillian Lang, Director of Experience Development at Glasgow Science Centre, said: “We are delighted to have been able to partner with SEPA on developing this touring exhibition to raise awareness of the science and issues around air quality.

“The exhibition was at Glasgow Science Centre during COP26 and has toured to Aberdeen Science Centre where it has been seen by over 16,000 people.”

The mobile exhibition is part of a larger educational package which SEPA has developed with Glasgow Science Centre, aiming to highlight the importance of air pollution and the impacts it can have on our health and the environment.

In 2017, SEPA and the Glasgow Science Centre developed a larger, permanent installation which was originally commissioned by the Scottish Government as part of the Cleaner Air for Scotland (CAFS) strategy, encouraging an interactive way to explore the science behind air pollution.

The mobile exhibit is a development of this work and is now available to tour individual local authority areas.

Anyone interested in finding out more information on how to bring the exhibit to their area can contact SEPA via AirQuality@sepa.org.uk.

Air quality in focus for next generations on Clean Air Day

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is educating young people about the detrimental impacts of air pollution and what can be done to tackle it as part of Clean Air Day.  

Schools, businesses, local authorities and other organisations across Scotland, and beyond, are taking part in Clean Air Day – a national air quality campaign. Now in its sixth year, Clean Air Day’s theme is ‘Air pollution impacts our health from our first breath to our last’. 

Air quality sensors are being installed at a number of schools across Scotland this week (June 13 – 17) as part of SEPA’s work. These have been installed at the request of the schools and will allow pupils to access real time air quality data, identifying issues such as vehicle idling around pick-up and drop-off times or even regional pollution events depending on the weather.

The pupils will then use this information to help put into practice positive actions they are learning through SEPA and Glasgow Science Centre’s ‘Our Amazing Air’ education programme to reduce air pollution.  
 
Over the last six weeks as part of ‘Our Amazing Air’, youngers have been taking part in bespoke lessons and experiments about air pollution, how it affects our health and the environment and what positive steps can be taken to tackle the issue. This project has been delivered in conjunction with Glasgow Science Centre, as part of its long running partnership with SEPA.  

SEPA has contributed to teaching materials for ‘Our Amazing Air’, with air quality experts visiting some of the participating schools and speaking directly to pupils about these issues.

The pupils have been keen to ask the experts about the serious issues and impacts around air quality and to discuss the practical measures that can be put in place to reduce overall pollution levels. The children have also been busy producing artwork and colourful banners to be displayed outside their schools.

Dr Colin Gillespie, SEPA’s Air Modelling Unit Manager, said: “Good air quality is essential for a good quality of life, helping maintain human health and wellbeing and our climate and habitats. It is also vital in our work towards becoming a net zero nation.  

“There are many ways to improve air quality but, like climate change, it is vital to involve younger generations and inform them about the issues facing our environment today.  
 
“Everyone has a part to play in helping to improve air quality and tackle pollution – and education is a vital part of this. SEPA works with local authorities and schools across the country to promote, educate and inform about air pollution. This year’s ‘Our Amazing Air’ programme was a great way to teach children about air pollution, how it impacts our health and the environment and what positive steps we can take.  

“Clean Air Day gives everyone an important opportunity to consider how we can change or adapt our behaviour to improve the quality of our air and spread the positive message about the benefits of clean air.” 

John Bynorth, Policy and Communications Officer at Environmental Protection Scotland, which coordinates Clean Air Day on behalf of the Scottish Government, said: “We are delighted with SEPA’s work to promote efforts for children to learn about air quality across schools in Scotland on Clean Air Day.

“These citizen science projects help young people better understand air pollution impacts and pollution sources. This contributes to their households making informed choices about the simple steps they can take to reduce their contribution and exposure to pollution and encourage cycling and walking.

“There is an ever-increasing body of evidence that suggests air pollution affects every part of the human body, from the lungs and heart to the brain, and even during pregnancy. On Clean Air Day, we can all do something to cut air pollution to benefit our health and the planet. On June 16, let us all work together to make Scotland’s air quality the best in Europe.”

Air pollution monitoring 
 
SEPA initially started educational work around air pollution monitoring with a national teaching package (www.learnaboutair.com), that was developed with North Lanarkshire Council. Through the years, SEPA has extended its work into the classrooms up and down the country, working with more than half of Scotland’s local authorities on air pollution monitoring and educational projects.  
 
Where possible, SEPA has been undertaking air quality monitoring around schools (on request or in partnership with local authorities) and this information is provided to allow pupils to learn about air pollution and how they can take steps to reduce air pollution around their schools.  

School pupils in Edinburgh have helped mark Clean Air Day 2022 by pledging their own clean air goals.

children from Sciennes Primary School were joined yesterday by Environmental Protection Scotland, who coordinate Clean Air Day in Scotland, to call for action on air pollution.

This year, Clean Air Day highlights the negative impact poor air quality can have on our health, encouraging people to leave the car at home and take alternative, more sustainable modes of transport like walking, cycling or public transport where possible.

Sciennes was the first primary school in Edinburgh to set up a ‘bike bus’ – where children, parents and marshals group together to cycle, walk or wheel along an agreed route to school.

It was also amongst the first nine schools to introduce ‘School Streets’, which restricts cars outside the gates at the start and end of the day to create safe and welcoming environments for travel by foot, bike or wheel.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, joined pupils yesterday to find out about their efforts to travel sustainably, as well as sharing some of the work to improve air quality and support environmentally friendly travel across Edinburgh.

This includes a Low Emission Zone, which was formally introduced on 31 May and will limit the most polluting motor vehicles in the city centre.

He said: “We all have a right to breathe clean air and today we’re reminded just how important that is to our health and wellbeing. I’m proud to see our youngest residents engaged in the conversation about better air quality – they will be the catalysts for change.

“We owe it to future generations to do everything we can to create a cleaner, greener city for everyone. Thankfully there’s already lots going on – just last month the Council introduced a Low Emission Zone in Edinburgh, which will tackle air pollution in the densely populated city centre, with knock-on improvements to air quality expected across the wider city area. This will save lives.

“This is just one of a number of tools at our disposal to reduce air pollution. From investment in public transport, including bringing the tram to Newhaven, to transforming the city centre and areas around Edinburgh through our 20-minute neighbourhood programme, which encourages people to travel locally in ways that are cleaner, greener and improve our wellbeing, and progressing major walking, wheeling and cycling projects like George Street and City Centre West to East Link, I want to support people to make healthy, sustainable transport choices.”

John Bynorth, Policy and Communications Officer at Environmental Protection Scotland said:  “The main thing we’re focusing on with this year’s national air quality campaign is that air pollution affects every part of your body.

“A lot of people know about the impacts relating to conditions like asthma, bronchitis and heart and lung disease but there’s emerging evidence that it affects your brain and cognitive ability and there’s research into how it affects unborn babies in pregnancy.

“It’s really fantastic what Edinburgh’s doing with Clean Air Day, particularly so soon after the launch of the Low Emission Zone, which is going to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of people in the Capital.”

Lucy Gallagher, Acting Head Teacher of Sciennes Primary School, said: “We are very pleased to continue our support for Clean Air Day to raise awareness of children’s right to good health and to promote active travel. Our young people know that air pollution can harm the human body.

“They also know that young people are even more at risk and so they want to speak out to make a difference!  We would like all our children to have clean air every day on their safe and active route to school. 

Activities have been taking place in schools around the Capital in the lead-up to Clean Air Day. Pupils from Stenhouse, Craiglockhart and St Mary’s RC Leith primary schools have each designed clean air banners for their school gates as part of a dedicated poster competition launched jointly by SEPA and the Council.

Blackhall and St Mary’s East London Street primary schools have created banners through Our Amazing Air, a learning programme run by Glasgow Science Centre and SEPA.

On Thursday, children from Preston Street Primary School shared their ‘Clean Air Heroes’ with each other before cheering on classmates leaving school by foot, wheel or bike and at Canal View Primary School an air quality sensor was installed this week so pupils can learn about air pollution.

A new, dedicated webpage, Future Edinburgh, was also established this week to highlight projects underway or in planning that aim to address climate change, population growth and poverty, as well as tackling issues like air pollution and congestion.

The page provides information on the plans and strategies underpinning these ambitions – City Plan 2030, City Mobility Plan and Net Zero 2030.

Amongst initiatives are the development of 20-minute neighbourhoods to create a network of healthier, greener and thriving local areas where everyone can meet most of their daily needs within a short walk, wheel or cycle from their home, City Centre Transformation and Trams to Newhaven.

Several major active travel projects are in the pipeline including George Street and First New Town, West Edinburgh Link and City Centre West to East Link, which is currently under construction.

Find out more on the Council website.

‘Time For Action’: Tyre Extinguishers target New Town’s ‘killer vehicles’

Up to one hundred SUV vehicles in Edinburgh’s New Yown have been targeted by activists from environmental action group The Tyre Activists.

The activists deflated tyres on 4 x 4 vehicles across the affluent area and left leaflets on windscreens to explain their actions.

The group justifies their activities on a Facebook Page:

‘We are people from all walks of life with one aim: To make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4×4 in the world’s urban areas.

‘We are defending ourselves against climate change, air pollution and unsafe drivers.We do this with a simple tactic: Deflating the tyres of these massive, unnecessary vehicles, causing inconvenience and expense for their owners.

‘Deflating tyres repeatedly and encouraging others to do the same will turn the minor inconvenience of a flat tyre into a giant obstacle for driving massive killer vehicles around our streets.

‘We’re taking this action because governments and politicians have failed to protect us from these huge vehicles. Everyone hates them, apart from the people who drive them.

‘We want to live in towns and cities with clean air and safe streets. Politely asking and protesting for these things has failed. It’s time for action. Join us.

‘We have no leader – anyone can take part, wherever you are, using the simple instructions on this website.’

Police enquiries are ongoing.

Have your say on city council’s Low Emission Zone proposals

More than 4000 people have told the city council what they think of proposals to introduce a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Edinburgh, with less than two weeks left to take part in the consultation.

CEC is seeking people’s views on proposals for an LEZ in Edinburgh’s city centre, which would require all motor vehicles, other than mopeds and motorcycles (and exempted vehicles), to meet minimum emissions standards to enter the zone freely. The council intends to introduce the LEZ by spring 2022, with a two-year grace period before enforcement begins, to help people adjust to the changes.

People have until 20 September to take part in the consultation asking about travel habits and for responses to the scheme, including the city centre boundary, the two-year grace period and exemptions. As of Thursday (9 September), 4025 people had already responded.

To help you have your say on the proposals, the council has put together some key facts about the LEZ (below).

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s great that so many people have already taken the time to share their views on our proposals. This is a change that could affect anyone coming into the city centre, as well as all those that live here, so I would encourage as many people as possible to take part before the consultation closes.

“It’s really important that people are able to make informed responses to the consultation, which is why we’ve gathered together some key facts about the scheme, and we hope these will dispel some of the myths about how it would operate.

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “People have already told us how important clean air is to them, and our proposals aim to improve air quality while also supporting all those who live and work here to adjust to the changes.

“By reducing the most polluting vehicles in the city, alongside other projects to reduce congestion and facilitate travel by foot, bike or wheel, we could create a safer, cleaner and healthier city.”

Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland said: “Low Emission Zones are a vital step towards improving Scotland’s air quality and people’s lung health.

“Air pollution causes as many as 2000 premature deaths in Scotland every year so it is crucial that we take steps to reduce the levels we are exposed to, especially in our busy cities.

“We encourage everyone to take a moment and have their say to help ensure the Edinburgh LEZ plan is robust and will help to create a world where everyone can breathe clean air with healthy lungs.”

Feedback to the consultation will help inform a finalised LEZ plan, to be brought back to the Transport and Environment Committee in the autumn, before the statutory process for introducing the scheme begins.

In 2019 we carried out a consultation on initial proposals for LEZs in Edinburgh, with responses showing that cleaner air is important to everyone.

LEZ: Key facts

Why are we introducing an LEZ?

  • We want to reduce air pollution, for which road traffic is the main source. By limiting the most polluting vehicles in the LEZ we want to create cleaner air and improve people’s health in this densely populated part of the city.
  • Introducing the LEZ will significantly improve air quality, reducing traffic related (NO2 – nitrogen dioxide) emissions in the city centre by 55% – equivalent to 25-30 tonnes per year, when compared to 2019 levels.

Will this negatively impact those who need to drive in the city?

  • We want to make sure that those who need to drive into the city still can, so blue badge holders and emergency vehicles will be amongst those exempt from the restrictions.
  • Only the most polluting vehicles will be affected – we expect the majority of drivers not to be affected by the changes.
  • By the time enforcement begins in 2024 only diesel cars less than nine years old and petrol cars less than 18 years old will be able to drive in the zone.

Why are we proposing a boundary that only covers the city centre and not the whole city?

  • An evidence-led approach was taken when appraising options for an LEZ, adhering to the National Low Emission Framework and based on detailed traffic and air quality modelling and data. Each option was assessed against a series of principles and objectives including the reduction of harmful NO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and minimising the displacement of traffic as a result of the LEZ.
  • This work suggested a citywide boundary would have a limited impact, with commercial fleet already improving in emissions standards. In 2020, Edinburgh traffic surveys showed Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) were already 76-95% compliant, while Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), or vans, had increased in compliance to 48% from 7% in 2016.
  • Over 60% of bus and coach fleet here (excluding Lothian Buses) was compliant in February 2020 and Lothian Buses are already on the road to reaching full compliance with the LEZ requirements by the end of 2021.
  • It is anticipated that the effects of vehicles complying with a city centre boundary will filter out to the wider city, with all buses and taxis becoming compliant with LEZ rules covering the whole city. According to modelling by SEPA, for areas that are not in the LEZ, it is predicted that harmful Nitrogen Oxides emissions from traffic sources will decline by 15% when compared to 2019 levels.

Will an LEZ generate money for the Council but disproportionately affect low income households? 

  • LEZs improve public health and help to save money, supporting the NHS to reduce health inequalities. By allowing a two-year grace period we want to give people time to prepare for the changes before 2024.
  • There’s also funding available to help people prepare for the LEZ, with up to £3000 in grants for households on certain benefits to scrap polluting vehicles and invest in more sustainable transport. Small businesses can also benefit from up to £2,500 from the Energy Saving Trust.
  • Scotland’s LEZs will issue fines to the most polluting vehicles only and are not designed to generate income. The Scottish LEZs are not designed in the same way as the Clean Air Zones in other parts of the UK which essentially set a fee for entering in a non-compliant vehicle. The Edinburgh LEZ will issue fines for non-compliance set at rates which will discourage repeat contraventions.

Is this a Council strategy or something encouraged by the Scottish Government?

  • We have been working to introduce an LEZ in Edinburgh since 2018 in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to implement LEZs in Scotland’s four largest cities – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee – to tackle air pollution and protect public health.
  • Our own City Mobility Plan – Edinburgh’s ten-year-transport strategy – commits to developing an LEZ alongside several other measures to tackle congestion, support cleaner air and support the move towards low emission transport. These include the Workplace Parking Levy (subject to consultation), the completion of the tram line to Newhaven and expansion of the active travel network.

Are you planning to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help people comply with the LEZ?

  • Although you don’t have to have an electric vehicle to drive in the LEZ (newer petrol and diesel vehicles will still be allowed), the Council is working to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the city to help facilitate these types of vehicles.
  • We’ve been awarded £2.2m of funding from Transport Scotland through the Switched-On Towns and Cities Fund for installing on street chargers. A total of 66 of these chargers will be put in across the city as part of the first phase of implementation. This is expected to be completed by 31 March 2022.
  • There are already publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers located around the city. Their locations can be found on the Charge Place Scotland website.

Take part in the LEZ consultation, which runs until 20 September, on the Council website.

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