Graham Stringer (Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which areas of the country he expects to be compliant with EU limits on ambient air concentrations of particulates and nitrogen oxide at the conclusion of the term of the renewable energy strategy. ( 320001 )

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Jim Fitzpatrick

The renewable energy strategy is the Government’s comprehensive action plan for achieving the UK’s share of the EU 2020 renewable energy target. It was published in July 2009 alongside the low carbon transition plan.

Projections of air quality, which exclude the impact of the renewable energy strategy, indicate that the UK is expected to be in full compliance with limit values for particulate matter in 2020, and that exceedences of limit values for nitrogen dioxide will be confined to a small number of roadside locations in London. These exceedences are associated with road transport emission sources.

Emission projections, which include policies contained within the low carbon transition plan and the renewable energy strategy, indicate a small net increase in the emission of oxides of nitrogen due to increased uptake in combined heat and power units, and no change in relation to emissions of particulate matter. While a full exceedences assessment has not yet been undertaken based on these emissions projections, it is thought unlikely that there will be any impact on the extent of limit value exceedences in 2020.

DEFRA and DECC have worked closely to identify policies within the renewable energy strategy that may impact on air quality. For example, the renewable heat incentive proposes a maximum emissions standard for biomass boilers below 20MW to minimise any detrimental impact on air quality in urban areas.

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