Government ban on petrol and diesel cars ‘doesn’t go far enough’, says UK adviser

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Professor Frank Kelly, chair of the UK Government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, says fewer not cleaner vehicles are needed to tackle the UK’s air pollution crisis, plus more cycling and walking and better transit systems. The Government recently released its Air Quality Plan, in which it announced that it will ban all petrol and diesel vehicles (including hybrids) from 2040, with only electric vehicles available after that.
August 7, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Professor Frank Kelly, chair of the UK Government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, says fewer not cleaner vehicles are needed to tackle the UK’s air pollution crisis, plus more cycling and walking and better transit systems.


The Government recently released its Air Quality Plan, in which it announced that it will ban all petrol and diesel vehicles (including hybrids) from 2040, with only electric vehicles available after that.

Kelly said that, while the ‘switch to electric vehicles is a signal for real change and is the direction we need to go’, the government’s plan, does not go nearly far enough. “Our cities need fewer cars, not just cleaner cars,” he says.

“One issue is that electric vehicles will not sufficiently reduce particulate matter (PM), the other toxic pollutant emitted by road transport. This is because PM components include not only engine emissions, but also a contribution from brake and tyre wear and road surface abrasion. Governments don’t currently pay much attention to PM, but it is in fact highly polluting, with strong links to cardiopulmonary toxicity.”

The UK is one of 17 EU countries breaching annual targets for nitrogen dioxide, a problem which has been made worse by the failure of the European testing regime for vehicle emissions, according to ITM Power. It recently called on the government to provide equivalent financial support for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) infrastructure as it has already provided for plug-in battery electric vehicle (BEV) infrastructure.

Kelly said he was encouraged by changing attitudes to car ownership. He noted, “Younger Londoners are increasingly replacing little-used vehicles with car club membership and ride-sharing apps.” However, he said we must also champion the value of exercise and continue to make public transport the convenient option.

Air Quality & Weather Systems

Related Content

  • April 30, 2014
    FTA, BMW support UK government funding for green cars
    The UK government has announced plans to invest US$840 million ultra-low emission vehicle industry. It is hoped that this will help drivers both afford and feel confident about using electric cars. Announcing the funding during a visit to the Transport Research Laboratory, Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister said: “Owning an electric car is no longer a dream or an inconvenience. Manufacturers are turning to this new technology to help motorists make their everyday journeys green and clean.”
    Read More
  • December 1, 2015
    VW scandal prompts emissions testing debate
    In the wake of the VW scandal John Kendall looks at emissions testing on both sides of the Atlantic. Since the VW emissions story broke in September, emissions testing has come under greater scrutiny, and none more so than in Europe, where critics have long been highlighting the weaknesses of the testing system. Ironically, changes to the emissions testing process were already under review but the story has pushed it up the agenda.
    Read More
  • October 14, 2019
    London more than twice over air pollution limit, says ClientEarth
    Greater London is more than twice over the legal limit for air pollution levels in the UK, according to a study. Charity ClientEarth says the UK is failing to meet the legal limits of nitrogen dioxide pollution, where the annual average concentration level is 40µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air). Findings show London’s annual mean concentration of 89 µg/m3 is followed by South Wales (62 µg/m3), West Midlands Urban Area (58 µg/m3), Glasgow Urban Area (58 µg/m3) and Tyneside (54 µg/m3). The study f
    Read More
  • July 20, 2017
    Government targets ‘too conservative’ as 1 in 5 plan to embrace electric cars
    Electric vehicle uptake may increase over the next few years to levels far above UK Government targets. In research undertaken by Baringa Partners, nearly a fifth of people said they would consider buying an electric vehicle for their next car, double the Government goal for electric cars to make up nine per cent of the fleet by 2020. However, concerns over purchase price and range mean nearly a third of people believe electric cars will never overtake petrol and diesel vehicles. Baringa is urging the Gover
    Read More

Highlighted Content