Following a public consultation, the sale of traditional house coal and wet wood in England will be phased out between 2021 and 2023 in a bid to improve air quality and tackle climate change.
Last week, the Environment Secretary George Eustice has announced the plans to encourage the use of cleaner fuels in households across the country. Government sources have explained that wood burning stoves and coal fires are the “single largest source of the pollutant ‘PM2.5’, emitting twice the contribution of industrial combustion and three times the contribution of road transport.”
Reducing the emissions of PM2.5 is not only important for the environment, but also health reasons. Multiple studies have linked long term exposure to PM2.5 to lung cancer, strokes, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Alternative, cleaner energy sources are also cheaper and more efficient to burn.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
“Cosy open fires and wood-burning stoves are at the heart of many homes up and down the country, but the use of certain fuels means that they are also the biggest source of the most harmful pollutant that is affecting people in the UK. By moving towards the use of cleaner fuels such as dry wood we can all play a part in improving the health of millions of people.
“This is the latest step in delivering on the challenge we set ourselves in our world-leading Clean Air Strategy. We will continue to be ambitious and innovative in tackling air pollution from all sources as we work towards our goal to halve the harm to human health from air pollution by 2030.”
Alongside the announcement, the Government is also launching a ‘Burn Better. Breathe Better’ campaign to encourage more clean energy use. Other action also includes the world leading Clean Air Strategy – committing to tackling a range of pollutants – and the Environment Bill – introducing legally binding targets to reduce fine particulate matter.
Local MP, Caroline Dinenage, commented:
“I agree with the Environment Secretary that while we all love an open fire, if we are really committed to tackling climate change as a country, we all need to make the necessary lifestyle changes.
“Small household changes like this come part and parcel with the bigger moves that we are making in Parliament, such as with the Environment Bill and 25 Year Environment Plan. It takes changes both small and big to ensure we are fighting for the future of our planet.”
