Potential contribution of local air quality management to environmental justice in England

Abstract

The United Kingdom has a well-developed system of local air quality management established to combat air quality problems at a local level. In England air quality management areas tend to cover areas of greater social deprivation, and action plans developed to address poor air quality provide an opportunity to take account of environmental justice. However, this is not explicitly required by Government guidance and evidence to date suggests that the opportunity has not been realised. Many measures in current air quality action plans are not specific to air quality. This holds out the potential for greater integration of air quality measures with other local strategies, most notably local transport plans, which take greater account of environmental justice issues. Although not primarily intended to improve air quality or address environmental inequality, the London Congestion Charge provides evidence of the potential of this type of measure.