UK air pollution levels fall, but critics warn legal standards still being breached

Madeleine Cuff
clock • 2 min read

Although still above legal limits set by the EU, total emissions of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide are down in cities across England

Emissions of a number of harmful airbourne pollutants dropped across the UK between 2015 and 2016, according to Defra data released late last week that suggests tighter restrictions on tailpipe emissions...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Science

Study: Indoor plants found to help cool buildings and improve air quality

Study: Indoor plants found to help cool buildings and improve air quality

Research from the University of Surrey shows indoor plants and 'living' or 'green' walls can improve air quality and cooling within a building, while reducing reliance on air conditioning in the process

clock 30 October 2026 • 2 min read
Government backs new recycled materials research partnership

Government backs new recycled materials research partnership

Government teams up with Tata Steel and Royal Academy of Engineering for new project designed to boost use of recycled and circular structural materials in India and UK

clock 13 October 2026 • 1 min read
How Kew's Carbon Garden is getting visitors 'fired up' about the climate crisis

How Kew's Carbon Garden is getting visitors 'fired up' about the climate crisis

Joe Richomme, a botanical horticulturist whose team manages Kew's Carbon Garden, reflects on the highs and lows of a year bookended by summer heatwaves

Stuart Stone
clock 01 October 2026 • 9 min read