Activists have criticized the pace of the UK government’s plans to set new targets for cleaner air.
Ministers have decided that strict standards for harmful PM2.5 particles will not come into force before 2040.
Health campaigners say 2040 is too late, but ministers say it’s the earliest realistic date given the number of pollution sources.
The World Health Organization says stricter standards are vital right away.
It states that particulate matter can trigger heart attacks and strokes, increase the risk of asthma attacks, cause lung cancer and stunt lung growth in children.
PM2.5 particles are generated from road traffic, as well as from the manufacturing, construction and use of solvents in some industries.
Katie Nield of environmental rights group ClientEarth called on ministers to “seriously reconsider” their plans.
She added, “Another generation of children will be exposed to toxic pollution well beyond what the world’s best scientists find acceptable.”
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The government said: “PM2.5 reduction targets will reduce exposure to the most harmful air quality across the country and in locations with the highest levels, with acceptable levels reduced by 50%.
“This goes well beyond the previous EU targets and remains achievable.”
Similar criticism, meanwhile, has been leveled at the nature restoration target, which is part of a consultation on details of the government’s environmental law.
The government consultation promises a 10% increase in biodiversity by 2042 compared to 2030 levels.
Wildlife Link’s Richard Benwell said: “We’ve seen 150 years of decline so it’s great that the Government is trying to stop it. But according to today’s plan, we couldn’t be better off than today.”
He also bemoaned the lack of targets to ensure the quality of protected areas and a long-term target for the status of rivers and streams, although there are now targets for pollution from farmers and water companies.
RSPB’s Beccy Speight said the species target shows “a deplorable lack of ambition by our government to keep common species together and to protect the spaces on which wildlife depends”.
“We need a roadmap for nature’s restoration within a generation, but these proposals are an alarming sign that decision-makers feel that what we are seeing today in our nature-impoverished country is good enough,” he added she added.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “These proposed targets are intended to set out a clear, long-term plan for nature’s restoration.
“In a post-EU era, we now have the freedom to move towards a system that focuses on restoring and preserving nature, with more emphasis on science and less on the legal process.”
The criticism comes because the government is also being scrutinized for its climate protection policy.
The infrastructure commission said it needed urgent action to insulate buildings, provide charging stations for electric vehicles and improve local public transport.
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