Government’s failure to protect citizens from toxic air pollution is an international embarrassment

Publication date: 11th September 2017

Responding to reports that the UK Government is “flouting” its duty to protect the health of citizens from illegal levels of air pollution, according to the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights related to toxic waste, Areeba Hamid, Greenpeace UK Clean Air Campaigner, said:

“Government’s failure to protect citizens from toxic air pollution is now an international embarrassment. Illegal levels of toxic pollutants on our streets are harming people right now but Government is planning no serious action until the proposed ban on diesel and petrol cars in 2040. Today’s children will be adults by then. They should not have to wait nearly a quarter of a century for Government to act. Countries like India and Norway are already moving much faster to phase out polluting cars. China is considering a ban too. Businesses like JLR, Volvo and Uber are also taking steps to ditch harmful diesel and move to cleaner cars. The UK Government needs to step up a gear by getting rid of diesel and establishing clean air zones to protect a whole generation of children from the impacts of air pollution.”

For more information, contact press.uk@greenpeace.org or call 020 7865 8255.