This report commissioned by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) forms part of draft guidance which seeks to improve air quality across England.
Eunomia worked with the University of the West of England (UWE) on this economic analysis, researching the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of measures local authorities have available to them to tackle air pollution from road transport.
Measures to tackle pollution from transport are important as road transport contributes 80% to NOx pollution levels in areas where limits are exceeded, according to the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
Eunomia and UWE’s analysis suggests that the benefits may be much higher than the costs for some air quality interventions under certain circumstances. Interventions that look particularly promising include:
- Off-road cycle paths;
- Street washing and sweeping;
- Motorway speed restrictions.
Other interventions analysed include bypass construction, motorway barriers, road closures, Low Emission Zones (LEZ) and reducing vehicle idling.
The work undertaken for NICE builds on work Eunomia has previously completed for both DG Environment of the European Commission and the UK Environment Agency, using economic modelling techniques to help evaluate the cost effectiveness of a range of methods that can help reduce the impact of air pollution.
