14:00 A Long-Term Air Quality Policy Framework for Scotland (A Taylor)

14:00 A Long-Term Air Quality Policy Framework for Scotland (A Taylor)

1. A Long Term Air Quality Policy Framework for
Scotland
Supporting our ambition to have the best air quality in
Europe

2. 1.Key drivers
2.Overview
3.PM and NO
2 objectives
4.Exposure reduction
5.EU and LAQM systems
6.Air quality monitoring network
7.Next steps
Overview

3. •Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 (CAFS2) expires in 2026. A replacement and potentially new approach is needed for
the medium and longer term.
•Updated World Health Organisation air quality guidelines were published in September 2021. For nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) the new guideline represents a 75% reduction compared to the current Scottish objective and for fine
particulate matter (PM2.5) a 50% reduction.
•A new EU ambient air quality Directive was formally adopted in October 2024, including tighter standards for the
key air quality pollutants.
•Environmental Standards Scotland’s Improvement Report on NO2 and analytical report on PM set out a series
of recommendations.
•National Emission Ceilings to be met by 2030.
Key Drivers 1

4. •Scotland’s Climate Change Plan to achieve net zero by 2045. Effective policy coordination can deliver co-benefits
for both air pollutant and greenhouse gas reduction.
•The EU’s longer term Zero Pollution Action Plan, which sets out a vision for 2050 where air pollution is reduced to
levels no longer considered harmful to human health and natural ecosystems.
•The three core focuses of health reform in Scotland of improving population health, reducing health inequalities and
care system sustainability. This links to Scotland’s population health challenges including an ageing population, the
projected increase in the future burden of disease and, in our most disadvantaged communities, falling life
expectancy and healthy life expectancy.
•Other Scottish Government plans and policies, for example the Early Years Framework which aims to give all
children in Scotland the best start in life. Air pollution can impact on the health and development of children before
birth and have long-lasting effects on health and wellbeing.
Key Drivers 2

5. Proposals
We are considering the potential for:
•Adoption of new annual and 24 hour concentration objectives for nitrogen dioxide and
particulate matter (PM
10 and PM
2.5).
•An increased focus on exposure reduction to improve health outcomes across the whole
population and not just in pollution hotspots, including consideration of new EU exposure
reduction targets.
•Combining the separate Local Air Quality Management and EU ambient air quality directive
legislative systems into a single streamlined approach, providing more clarity and efficiency.
•A comprehensive review and restructuring of the Scottish air quality monitoring network.
•An overhaul of the Local Air Quality Management system and a refocusing of the role of
local authorities as delivery partners.

6. Pollutants
SG current
objective
WHO 2005
guidelines
WHO 2021
guidelines
EU new
directive
2030
Defra’s
current
objective
2030
Suggested
SG 2030
objective*
PM
10 18 20 15 20 40 15
PM
2.5 10 10 5 10 10 (2040) 8
NO
2 40 40 10 20 40 20
PM and NO
2 objectives
Annual average
concentrations
* Initial proposals are for the period 2026 to 2030, to tie in with emissions ceilings requirements and
new EU targets for that date. Proposals for longer term targets to 2045 will be developed as
supporting evidence becomes available.

7. •All 85 PM
10 monitoring (automatic) sites in Scotland meeting
current objectives
•All but one site currently meeting WHO 2021 annual mean
guideline of 15 g m
3
•Proposal – to consult on adopting 2021 guideline as new
Scottish objective to be achieved by 2030
PM
10

8. •All 84 PM
2.5 monitoring (automatic) sites in Scotland currently meeting
objectives
•Proposal – to consult on adopting a new Scottish objective of 8g m
3

to be achieved by 2030
•Current Scottish objective is 10g m
3
, which is the same as the new
EU limit value
•Almost all sites are exceeding the WHO guideline of 5g m
3
PM
2.5

9. •2024 data show that only four sites (all diffusion tubes) are exceeding the current Scottish objective of
40mg m
3
, although 332 sites (or 31% of the total) are exceeding 20mg m
3
:
•Two thirds of sites currently exceeding 20mg m
3
are within 30% of that target.
•Currently 1,140 NO
2 monitoring sites in Scotland - 89 automatic and 1,051 diffusion tubes.
Exceeding
by:
<10% 10-20% 20-30% 30-40% 40-50% >50%
Number
of sites
70 84 65 35 31 47
% of
exceeding
sites
21 25 20 10 10 14
NO
2 – current position

10. •Proposal – to consult on adopting a new Scottish
annual mean objective of 20g m
3
to be achieved by
2030
NO
2

11. •Current action tends to focus on pollution hotspots and, once the standard is achieved at a given
location, there is no legislative driver to deliver further improvement.
•The exposure reduction approach provides a framework for continued air quality improvements across
the whole population, complementing the baseline level of protection afforded by the standards
approach.
•Typically, exposure reduction involves requiring a percentage reduction in air pollution compared to a
specified reference year.
Exposure reduction in Scotland
•The first, and to date only, exposure reduction target applying to Scotland was UK wide and included in
the 2007 version of the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This
required a 15% reduction in average PM
2.5 concentrations in urban background areas between 2010 and
2020, and was achieved at all locations.
Exposure reduction – current

12. EU
•New Air Quality Directive includes exposure reduction targets for NO
2 and PM
2.5, to be met from 2030 onwards.
•For NO
2, 15% lower than 10 years before the current year if average concentration is below the limit value or
25% lower if average concentration is above.
•For PM
2.5, 10% lower than 10 years before the current year if average concentration is below the limit value,
15% lower if average concentration is within 20% of the limit value and 25% lower if average concentration is
more than 20% above the limit value.
Proposal – to consult on adopting these targets in Scotland - demonstrates a
commitment to continuous improvement and more clearly demonstrates progress
towards compliance with the WHO guidelines when compared to the
standards/objectives based approach.
For comparison, the UK Government has set a PM
2.5 exposure reduction target in England of 35% by 2040,
from a 2018 baseline. There is currently no proposed target for NO
2.
Exposure reduction – proposals

13. •Two legislative and policy frameworks for ambient air quality in Scotland (and the rest of the UK) – the 2008
Ambient Air Quality Directive and the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) system.
•Broad similarities between approaches but also differences in assessment methodology – can be confusing
for non experts, besides resulting in some inefficiencies and duplications of effort i.e. non optimum use of
limited resources.
•Adoption of a new Air Quality Directive, which is not subject to retained EU law, provides an opportunity to
consider whether the two systems could be amalgamated.
•Would require significant updates and revision to legislation.
Proposal – that the pros and cons of combining the two systems are explored.
Combining EU and LAQM systems

14. •Scottish monitoring network currently consists of 99 automatic monitors (20 AURN and 79 local authority) and
1051 NO
2 diffusion tubes.
•The locations of the central government sites are determined by EU directive requirements, however the local
authority network has developed more organically over the past 25 years in response to local issues.
•A fundamental review of the monitoring network will be needed as a key part of the long term
policy framework development to ensure that it remains fit for purpose, particularly in the context
of a potential greater focus on direct emissions and exposure reduction, and less so on hotspots.
•Key issues to consider:
❑Current numbers, locations and geographical spread of monitors e.g. what is the minimum number of
automatic monitors needed for a statistically robust network, is the entire population adequately covered.
❑How to bring mobile sensors into the network more widely for greater range and flexibility, whilst balancing this
against the current and likely future limitations of the technology.
❑The range of pollutants currently monitored e.g. it is probable that there will need to be a significant expansion
in ammonia monitoring.
Air quality monitoring network

15. •Continue to deliver remaining actions in CAFS2.
•Remainder of 2025 and early 2026 - Informal engagement on framework proposals with delivery
partners.
•2026 – commissioning of detailed modelling and policy scenario testing to support more stringent
air quality objectives for 2030 and beyond.
•Post election – formal public consultation.
•Final development and publication of the new policy delivery framework.
Next steps

16. A Long Term Air Quality Policy Framework for
Scotland
Supporting our ambition to have the best air
quality in Europe