Air Pollution and Air Quality

The quality of the air around us is affected by substances released into the atmosphere through human activities as well as from natural sources. This section looks at what air pollution is how we contribute to it, where you can find data and the things we are doing to protect our air quality.

 

Key messages

• The quality of the air that we breathe is fundamental to the health of our people and planet. Air pollution places quality of life and our natural environment at short and long-term risk.

 

• Air quality has improved significantly since the 1950s, with dramatic reductions in most pollutants. Scotland is performing well by UK, European and global comparison, with both concentrations and emissions of the main air pollutants largely continuing to fall. However, there are still some hot-spot areas of air poor air quality within our urban centres and background air pollution concentration levels have largely remained static.

 

• Despite these improvements, air pollution still damages our health and the environment and many of the day-to-day activities we carry out (such as transport, energy production, manufacturing, agriculture, as well as some household activities, such as domestic heating and cooking) contribute to emissions.

 

• Further reductions in air pollution will require concerted action across many sectors including national and local government, the private and public sectors, and by individual members of the public. As new evidence emerges, increased awareness and understanding of the key issues around air pollution will allow the change to our behaviours required to help reduce emissions and exposure to air pollution.

What is air pollution and why is it important to us?

Air pollution results from the introduction of a range of substances into the atmosphere from a wide variety of sources, both manmade and natural. It can cause both short-term and long-term effects on our health and on the wider environment. Air pollution is generally considered to be the contamination of air by gases and particulate matter which may be harmful, whilst air quality is the measurement of the concentrations of these pollutants in the air.

 

The diagram below shows the main sources of air pollution, the types of pollutant released and how they are transported, react in the atmosphere and are deposited in the environment. Air pollutants can be split into the categories of primary and secondary pollutants. Primary pollutants such as oxides of sulphur (SO_x) and nitrogen (NO_x), ammonia (NH₃), particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are directly emitted from specific sources, whereas secondary pollutants such as ground-level ozone (O₃), nitric and sulphuric acids (HNO₃ and H₂SO₄) and PM are formed where primary pollutants undergo chemical and physical reactions in the atmosphere.

 

Sources of air pollution – Cleaner Air for Scotland - The Road to a Healthier Future

 

 

 

Air pollutants

Although we monitor for air pollution in certain places and put in place measures to control emissions we cannot monitor and control all air pollution. Therefore, we make risk-based decisions on the air pollutants of greatest concern for health and the environment, those with the most significant concentrations in the air and the proportion and susceptibility of the population who are exposed to the pollution. That doesn’t mean other air pollutants aren’t also having some health or environmental effects. As we continue to seek to control the existing pollutants of concern to increasingly lower concentrations we may then have to move on to other new, or uncontrolled, pollutants.

 

There are also some air pollutants which are produced locally but can travel large distances from other countries (called transboundary sources) and some of these can originate from natural sources (such as volcanic eruptions, wildfires and sea salt) which there may be little we can do anything about. Reducing air pollution also has an important role to play in reducing the effects of climate change, both from the effect the pollutants themselves contribute and as the sources of air pollution and climate change emissions can often be the same.

 

In Scotland we currently concentrate on controlling local air quality from the pollutants sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), particulate matter (PM_10/2.5), ammonia (NH₃), ground-level ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), benzene, 1,3-butadiene, metals (such as lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg)), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins and furans. We monitor and regulate these substances against environmental and health-based environmental quality standards and have legal air quality objectives in place. Information on the health and environmental effects of these air pollutants can be found on the page on the Air Pollution Impacts and the Air Quality in Scotland website.

 

 

 

The state of air quality in Scotland

The Scottish Government has the continued vision of Scotland having the best air quality in Europe – a quality of air that aims to protect and enhance health, wellbeing and the environment. Over the past few decades, levels of the main air pollutants have declined significantly. Between 2005 and 2021 (the latest year for which figures are currently available), NO_x emissions have decreased by 60%, fine PM by 41% and SO₂ by 92%. This rate of decline has been greatest for carbon monoxide and SO₂ and is relatively similar for PM, NO_x, metals and VOCs. By contrast, NH₃ emissions have declined at a much slower rate than other pollutants, and even increased slightly over some years.

 

Emissions of the main air pollutants were lower in 2021 than they were in 1990, however the rate of decline for some has started to level off in recent years (as shown in the graph below from 2005 – 2021) and is the reason we need to continue with concerted action to reduce emissions of these air pollutants.

Emissions trends for the main air pollutants in Scotland since 2005 – National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) Air Pollutant Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland: 2005-2021.

 

Some of the reasons for reductions in these pollutants are improvements in transport emissions (more efficient/low emission modes of transport), changes in how we generate and use energy (removal of coal-fired power stations, increased use of renewable energy sources, improved energy efficiency) and changes in manufacturing industries. The lack of reduction of NH₃ emissions is mainly due to practices in the agricultural sector changing and previous reductions being offset by increases from new sources.

 

Scotland can be considered to be performing relatively well in comparison to most of the UK and European Union (EU) Member States, however, ‘hotspot’ areas of persistent air pollution remain and are currently being tackled by local authorities through Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and Low Emission Zones (LEZs).

 

At the time of writing, data from the network of Scottish automatic air quality monitoring stations has shown that the legal air quality objectives have been met for 2023 and this is the second consecutive year that objectives for all pollutants at all automatic monitoring sites across Scotland have been met outside of pandemic lockdown periods. This shows continued improvements are being achieved in local air quality across Scotland. In the future we may also move towards more stringent legal air quality standards and objectives to further protect our health and environment and therefore new and improved measures to reduce air pollution and continual improvements in air quality will be required.

 

Data on our air

To understand air pollution and air quality we collect data, analyse it, use computer models and develop measures based on this evidence to reduce emissions and their impacts on health and the environment. There is a comprehensive body of air quality data for Scotland going back many years, which provides an invaluable resource for assessment and policy development and underpins the Scottish Government’s air quality strategies and wider environmental protection measures. There are currently three main sources of data on air pollution and air quality.

 

The Scottish air quality monitoring network

Local air quality is measured through a network of automatic monitoring stations across Scotland. Data is currently collected at 99 automatic sites across Scotland and this data is collected as part of the Scottish Air Quality Database Network project run by the Scottish Government. These monitoring sites typically measure NO₂, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 some also measure SO₂, O₃, CO, benzene, 1,3-butadiene and PAHs. In addition, local authorities collect data on NO₂ through a network of indicative monitors (diffusion tubes) which are located over larger geographical areas.

 

The data collected through monitoring is used to assess air quality at national and local authority levels and it is reported annually by all local authorities in their Local Air Quality management (LAQM) Annual Progress Reports (APR). Air quality data is publicly available in near real-time and can be accessed through the Air Quality in Scotland website. NO₂ diffusion tube data can also be accessed via this website along with data analysis tools, LAQM information and reports.

 

An air pollution forecast is carried out daily by the Scottish Government which provides an indication of likely air pollution levels across the country. To compliment the forecast, an air pollution alert service (Know and Respond) is also provided by the Scottish Government which can warn people when air pollution episodes are forecast and direct them to relevant health advice. The Know and Respond text alert service can be subscribed to here and the AQ in Scotland App also provides notifications to your mobile device. Air pollution forecast information can also be accessed via the Air Quality in Scotland X feed.

 

 

Location of current automatic air quality monitoring stations in Scotland – Air Quality in Scotland website

 

Data from the wider UK automatic monitoring networks is available on Scotland’s Environment website via the UK Air Quality Tool which displays recent air-quality observations from across the UK for PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, NO₂ and NO_x and O₃. Data is also available from across the European air quality monitoring network for PM₁₀ and _2.5, O₃ and NO₂ through the European Air Quality Data Tool (which displays air quality observations from across Europe going back to 2013) and European Air Quality Data Live Tool (which displays recent air quality observations from across Europe typically for the most recent two days).

 

Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI)

The SPRI is the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) for Scotland managed by SEPA and has the primary purpose of making publicly available officially reported annual releases and statistics for specified pollutants to air and water from SEPA-regulated industrial installations (it also provides information on off-site transfers of waste and wastewater from these facilities).

 

Pollutant emissions from operators of sites carrying out legally defined activities (67 activities covering 10 major industrial sectors) above defined capacity thresholds are obliged to report to SPRI on an annual basis. The activities and thresholds are largely determined by retained European reporting requirements (and fulfil reporting requirements for international agreements), but some additional pollutants have been included and some thresholds have been lowered to be relevant to pollutant releases in the UK and Scotland.

 

SEPA publishes figures annually as an Official Statistic that show emissions of pollutants reported to SPRI by operators of industrial sites for each calendar year (and historic data is also included for comparison) and allows analysis of trends in releases of emissions for substances from the various industry sectors.

 

SPRI data is also available on Scotland's Environment Web. This is provided as a data analysis tool which allows viewing of summarised information by industry sector for pollutants and waste transfers. Data can be downloaded in bulk, including at a site level and it is updated annually when the previous year's data is published.

 

National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI)

The NAEI calculates (estimates) and reports on the quantity of the major pollutants that are emitted to air in the UK and each of the devolved administrations on an annual basis and shows the trends in emissions of air pollutants since 1970. A number of pollutants are also estimated from 1990 or 2000 to the most current publication year due to the lack of adequate data prior to the later date and the specific reporting requirements for each pollutant.

 

The NAEI data is collected for the UK and devolved governments and published annually (for the period covering up to the previous two years) and publicly available. Data is split on an annual basis for the major sectors contributing to the emissions. This allows us to target policy measures to reduce emissions of specific pollutants from specific sectors (see below, for PM_2.5).

Example of NAEI data, PM2.5 emissions in Scotland, 2005 – 2021 – National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI)

 

This data allows us to view trends of pollutants from all sources, project future levels of emissions and helps develop the policy required to be put in place the measures to achieve emissions reduction. The NAEI also fulfils our international reporting requirements for both air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

 

When collecting and using data it is important that we regularly review our approaches, to ensure that we collect data that are relevant (or predict data which may need to be collected moving forward), robust and fit for purpose, and link effectively to other related datasets that can provide added value in supporting integrated policy delivery. We also need to think carefully about how we present data to make it accessible to a range of audiences, with differing levels of understanding. More information on how we can analyse, use and present air pollution and air quality data is contained in the page on Air Quality and Public Engagement .

 

How do we protect air quality?

 

Internationally

Most of the environmental standards for air quality come from international work and agreements (from organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)) where the evidence is developed, specific measures to reduce emissions are identified and timescales set for emissions reductions.

 

The European Union (EU) has implemented a series of legal measures to reduce air pollution, and while the UK has now left the EU this legislation has been retained and in Scotland, we still work to comply with it. The two main pieces of EU legislation dealing with air pollution are:

 

• The Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (EU) 2024/2881, which sets EU air quality standards for PM, NO_x, SO₂, heavy metals and a number of other pollutants. This Directive has recently been updated in light of the revised World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines which were published in 2021 and sets even tighter air quality standards to be met across Europe by 2030 and in following years
• The National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD), which sets total emission limits for SO₂, NO_x, PM_2.5, NH₃ and VOCs, reducing national emissions over certain timescales to meet international agreements. The main requirements of this Directive have also been retained in UK legislation and help to meet the requirements of the international Gothenburg Protocol, designed to reduce acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone.

 

While in Scotland we already have air quality objectives for PM_2.5/10 which align with the updated air quality Directive standards, further work will need to be carried out in relation to the requirements for other pollutants.

 

United Kingdom (UK)

The UK’s Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was developed to improve air quality in the UK, to protect our health and the environment. It sets UK standards and objectives for reducing a series of pollutants. For some pollutants Scotland has adopted more stringent objectives than the rest of the UK. The strategy also sets out the UK’s system for Local Air Quality Management (LAQM). The LAQM system in Scotland has regularly been reviewed and the revised system and accompanying policy guidance was last republished in May 2024.

 

The UK is also required to meet the retained requirements of the NECD which sets emission reduction targets for pollutants over time which must be met to fulfil international agreements. To meet these reductions, we need to identify what emissions originate from various sectors (and in what quantities) and calculate how different policy measures will help contribute to achieving these reductions.

 

Scotland

Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - Towards a Better Place for Everyone (CAFS2) is Scotland's second air quality strategy, setting out how the Scottish Government and its partner organisations propose to further reduce air pollution to protect human health and fulfil Scotland’s legal responsibilities over the period 2021-2026. CAFS2 was published in July 2021, accompanied by a Delivery Plan, and replaced Cleaner Air for Scotland – The Road to a Healthier Future (CAFS) which was published in 2015.

 

CAFS2 aims to achieve the ambitious vision for Scotland "to have the best air quality in Europe" and is set around ten key themes: health, placemaking, transport, integrating policy, data, public engagement and behaviour change, industrial emissions, non-transport emissions (such as agriculture and domestic combustion), governance and review of the process. Progress with achieving the actions in CAFS2 is reported on an annual basis by the Scottish Government. The CAFS2 strategy will be subject to a review during 2025/2026 with a view to the next Scottish Government policy framework for air quality being in place from 2026 onwards.

 

Local authorities

Day-to-day responsibility for local air quality (through LAQM) lies with Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Local authorities are required to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas against the legal objectives, work towards meeting these objectives and where these objectives are at risk of being exceeded take action to improve air quality.

 

Any area where air quality is not, or at risk of not, meeting the legal objectives the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and put in place an air quality action plan to reduce pollution levels and work towards meeting the legal objectives within the shortest possible time. Most AQMAs are declared due to emissions from transport (primarily road) sources. At the time of writing, 13 local authorities in Scotland have declared AQMAs, ranging from whole city areas to short street lengths and road junctions. The number of AQMAs declared totalled 43 by 2017 (with this being the last year an AQMA was declared), however, with the concerted action and improvements in air quality over time this number currently stands at 27 with more AQMAs likely to be removed as progress continues to be made.

 

On a more local level, poor air quality caused by smoke, dust, fumes and odour from non-regulated or domestic premises can cause smaller-scale air pollution and nuisance problems. Action is taken by local authorities who can respond to public complaints, monitor for air pollution from these activities, make investigations and take action through provisions contained in the Clean Air Act 1993 and Environmental Protection Act 1990.

 

SEPA

SEPA has both a direct regulatory and key support role to help protect and improve Scotland’s air quality. SEPA regulates industrial sites which may contribute to air pollution, works with local authorities to ensure local air quality meets legal objectives and works with other partners to manage, assess, advise on and improve local air quality. SEPA is also a statutory consultee on the land-use planning system, which is integral to improving air quality and preventing new sources of air pollution (as outlined in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4)).

 

SEPA also supports the Scottish Government in the development and implementation of air quality policy, guidance and legislation, provision of scientific evidence and technical advice, provision of communications and public engagement activities.

 

What are we doing in Scotland?

Because air pollution is a cross-cutting issue, and as illustrated by the scope of the CAFS2 strategy, many different measures are currently underway to try to reduce air pollution and emissions and improve our air quality. Measures to reduce emissions for some of the main sectors are described below.

 

Energy generation and use

Energy generation was previously a significant source of emissions in Scotland through burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The transition to renewable and low carbon energy will provide a future energy system with an ability to meet our local and national heat, transport and electricity needs, while also contributing to meeting the Scottish Government’s ambitious emissions reduction targets (for both air pollutants and greenhouse gases).

 

In conjunction with decarbonisation of energy supply the Scottish Government has various energy policies and measures such as improving the electricity grid, local energy generation, reducing energy demand and heat and using energy more efficiency which will be vital to help continue to reduce emissions.

 

However, there are still challenges for air quality from new means of energy production. Providing energy supply resilience through Short-term Operating Reserve (STOR) sites which are required to maintain a balanced supply of electricity and provide a reliable source of energy in emergency situations. These can be a source of local air pollution due to their locations and fuels used (such as diesel). Secondary domestic biomass combustion (in household stoves) is also increasingly contributing to local air quality problems in urban areas. Therefore, care is required when considering options to provide energy to ensure we do not build in unintended consequences for air quality.

 

Transport

Transport is currently the most significant source contributing to poor air quality in urban areas. Although emissions from transport have declined over the years, the rate of decline has started to level off. Without additional measures to tackle transport-related air pollution, it is possible that emissions will begin to increase again.

 

While there is a key focus on technological advances, development of measures to encourage modal-shift and significant societal and behavioural changes will be required. Some of the measures to reduce emissions from transport include:

 

• Implementation of LEZs in Scotland’s four biggest cities.
• A phase-out of the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035.
• A commitment to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030.
• Encouraging reduced numbers of journeys and a shift from private to public transport.
• Promotion and incentivisation of active travel choices for the public and businesses.

 

Scotland’s National Transport Strategy 2 has four key priorities – reducing inequalities, taking climate action, helping deliver inclusive economic growth and improving our health and wellbeing and these will underpin the efforts to deliver additional air quality improvements currently required by CAFS2.

 

Placemaking

Placemaking requires collaborative working across a variety of professions and communities to identify the most appropriate place-based solutions for various development issues. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was published in February 2023 and outlines the National Spatial Strategy up to Scotland 2045 with the following six key principles (all of which can help contribute to reductions in emissions): 

• Just transition – Empowering people to shape their places and ensure the transition to net zero is fair and inclusive.
• Conserving and recycling assets – Making productive use of existing buildings, places, infrastructure and services, locking in carbon, minimising waste, and building a circular economy.
• Local living – Supporting local liveability and improving community health and wellbeing by ensuring people can easily access services, greenspace, learning, work and leisure locally.
• Compact urban growth – Limiting urban expansion so we can optimise the use of land to provide services and resources, including blue and green infrastructure and biodiversity.
• Rebalanced development – Targeting development to create opportunities for communities and investment in areas of past decline and manage development sustainably in areas of high demand.
• Rural revitalisation – Encouraging sustainable development in rural areas, recognising the need to grow and support urban and rural communities together.

 

If the design of a place is right, it can help reduce air pollution, create better, more sustainable places, contribute to improved physical and mental health and wellbeing and provide high quality spaces for work, life and recreation. Designing good places is especially important to help reduce emissions from the other sources previously mentioned such as transport, industry and energy supply and is the overarching factor which can help contribute to solving existing air pollution problems but also avoid creating new issues which will need to be dealt with in the future.

 

Industry

Considerable progress has been made over recent decades in controlling emissions from industrial sources. Robust legislation and increasingly stringent operating conditions enforced by SEPA, combined with technological developments and decline in heavy and manufacturing industry, have significantly reduced our national emissions over time. Further developments in technology, legislation and controls on operation will continue to drive down emissions from existing and new industrial activities.

 

The Scottish Government has retained the guiding European Union (EU) principles on the environment in Scots law, and these are the cornerstone of environmental protection and industrial regulation. The precautionary principle, polluter pays principle, prevention principle, rectification at source principle and the integration principle are all part of retained EU law and will continue to apply and be followed, as will domestic regulations made to transpose EU Directives on industrial emissions.

 

Agriculture

Most emissions to air from the agricultural sector are dominated by NH₃ and agriculture accounts for around 90% of total NH₃ emissions in Scotland. NH₃ is released when slurries, manures and nitrogen fertilisers meet the air and react and there are currently limited regulatory mechanisms currently in place to control these emissions.

CAFS2 recognised that emissions to air from the agricultural sector need to be tackled to help drive down air pollution and also contribute to reductions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂0). With the synergies between the practices that can mitigate NH₃ emissions and greenhouse gases, action is required as part of the wider work of the Climate Change Plan 2018–2032 and in light of Scotland’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions targets.

 

CAFS2 introduces specific actions to reduce agricultural emissions such as: 

• Sharing best practice and raising awareness of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, along with actions that farmers and crofters can take to minimise their environmental impact while improving efficiency.
• Working directly with farmers, supported by scientific and economic expertise to co-develop new ways of working to better contribute towards delivering Scotland’s climate change and environmental outcomes.
• Working together with SEPA and the agricultural industry to develop a voluntary code of good agricultural practice for improving air quality in Scotland.

The most effective measures to reduce emissions from these activities and their impacts are those which directly reduce emissions of NH₃ to the atmosphere, as opposed to attempting to introduce post-emission mitigation. In addition to the implementation of physical measures to reduce emissions there is also a need to ensure that there is a strong focus on education, engagement and awareness-raising around good agricultural practice.

 

Domestic emissions

Air pollution from domestic combustion sources such as fires, boilers and stoves is becoming an increasingly large proportion of emissions as sources from other sectors continue to be controlled and reduced. The main pollutants of concern arising from domestic combustion are PM_2.5/10, NO₂, SO₂ and can be produced depending on the type of appliance and fuel used and how the appliances are operated and maintained. To put this into perspective, domestic combustion accounted for 24.16% of PM_2.5 emissions in 2021 (latest year for which data is available), but only 15.72% in 2011 – an increase of 53%. The diagram below shows the relative levels of emissions from different types of heating system and fuels.

 

Relative PM_2.5 emissions from different types of domestic appliance - Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - Towards a Better Place for Everyone

 

Actions to tackle domestic sources of air pollution must be coordinated with related policies and actions, especially those included in the Climate Change Plan and those for building standards and energy efficiency. CAFS2 sets out some of the actions which are required to reduce air pollution from these sources, and these include:

 

• Encourage uptake of industry standard Ecodesign stoves along with consideration of how best to address widespread replacement of pre-Ecodesign appliances.
• Working with business and industry to support and develop educational schemes for manufacturers, suppliers and users of both fuels and appliances.
• Placing restrictions and controls on the types of fuel which are available on the market.
• Supporting households and businesses in transitioning to low-carbon heating solutions.

 

In most cases, regulatory control on its own is unlikely to be sufficient to reduce emissions and education for consumers/users will also be very important, both in terms of correct operation of appliances and using the right fuel for the appliance.

 

Useful external links

 

Air Quality in Scotland Website - Home page | Scottish Air Quality

SEPA - Air | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Low Emission Zones Scotland - Low Emission Zones Scotland | Transport Scotland

Transport Scotland - Home | Transport Scotland

NatureScot - NatureScot

Netregs - Air pollution | NetRegs | Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland

Environmental Protection Scotland - Air Quality - Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS) (ep-scotland.org.uk)

UK – Air - Home - Defra, UK

Air Pollution Information System (APIS) - Air Pollution Information System | Air Pollution Information System (apis.ac.uk)

UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) - Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk)

European Commission (EC) - Air Quality (europa.eu)

World Health Organisation (WHO) - Air pollution (who.int)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) - Air | UNECE

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Air | UNEP - UN Environment Programme

 

Organisations involved in air quality

 

The Scottish Government

Develops domestic strategies, policies and legislation to implement international, European and domestic measures to reduce air pollution, improve air quality and protect the environment and human health.

 

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Regulates and monitors industrial activities that can generate air pollution, works with local authorities to protect and improve local air quality and provides support to the Scottish Government and partner organisations on implementation of the Cleaner Air for Scotland (CAFS) programme of work.

 

Public Health Scotland (PHS)

Provides advice support and information to health professionals, national governments and local authorities, the general public and other bodies on the environmental health concerns associated with air pollution and poor air quality.

 

Transport Scotland

Responsible for delivery of a safe, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland and air pollution/air quality is a key consideration.

 

Local authorities

Are responsible for managing local air quality in your area and dealing with nuisance and pollution from non-regulated sites.

 

NatureScot

Protect and promote Scotland’s natural heritage, advise local authorities and public bodies and work with the Scottish Parliament and private and voluntary organisations on natural heritage issues (of which the impacts of air pollution can be an important consideration).

 

UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH)

Research institute which carries out environmental science projects across air, land and water which underpins environmental policies, commercial innovation and conservation.