The Public Perceptions of Air Pollution and Related Policies in London

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Methodology
Public Perceptions of Air Pollution and Related Policies
Findings of Surveys
Significance of Citizen Participation
Discussion
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

One of the primary goals of the paper is to investigate people’s understanding and recommendations on London’s air pollution control policies related to congestion charge zone and ultra-low emission zone through questionnaires, focusing on the public’s perception. The purposes of this literature review are to summarise findings related to the transport-related air pollution policies in London from the public viewpoint, as well as identify the potential gap in the current literature.

The articles and reports used for the analysis are selected based on their timeliness and contents. The primary questions for consideration are the public perceptions of air pollution and related policies in London and other cities of the United Kingdom, previous surveys regarding existing policies related to the environment or air quality, and the significance of citizen participation in policy effectiveness. The literature review features both peer-reviewed articles and official reports from local and national authorities.

Methodology

Article searches were performed through academic databases, books, and official websites. The databases that were used to conduct the analysis include BioOne, PubMed, PubChem, ScienceOpen, and Scopus. All of these databases feature peer-reviewed articles on biomedical and chemical topics, as well as environmental sciences and ecology. The materials found on official websites were selected based on their relevance to the problem and timeliness. The keywords used to perform the search included perceptions of air pollution policies, air quality public polling, public attitudes to air quality, public participation, and citizen participation.

People living in London, other cities of England, and the UK, in general, have a relatively high awareness of air pollution issues. It is vital to mention that in the UK, cars are the most dominant mode of travel, meaning that people prefer using them regardless of air pollution issues (Bergman, Schwanen & Sovacool 2017). The study by Xu, Chi, and Zhu (2017) shows that the majority of individuals living in the UK believe that such vehicles remain the most significant air pollution sources. Thus, it is evident that the individuals’ perspectives on existing policies should be analysed.

Li et al. (2018) and Brunt et al. (2017) note that many individuals living in London report that air pollution continues to decrease their subjective well-being. It means that the population may believe that the current policies are not fully effective. Many individuals think that there are extra policies that can be implemented. For instance, they suggest that the government should tax vehicles based on the amount of produced pollution (Aditjandra, Cao & Mulley 2016).

Other policies that have been offered by people living in the UK include forcing the population to shift from high-polluting means of travel, such as airplanes, to low-polluting ones, by using taxes and fees (Higham et al. 2016). The current peer-reviewed articles do not report detailed information on the public perception of existing policies related to air pollution, which shows that there is a significant gap in the literature on the topic.

People living in other cities of England, such as Manchester, experience significant effects of air pollution, too. However, Cox and Goggins (2018) report that few individuals are aware of the urgency of air pollution policies in the area, regardless of the national and local authorities’ actions towards minimizing the problem’s impact. At the same time, an extensive level of pollution can be measured outside schools, on busy shopping streets, and in other populated areas of the city (Cox & Goggins 2018). Residents of Cardiff have a different perspective on air pollution-related policies, as they believe that national policy formation does not take local authority data into account (House of Commons 2018). Thus, there are challenges expressed by the public living in many cities of the United Kingdom.

Findings of Surveys

The literature review shows that there is a lack of data published in authoritative sources regarding previous surveys about existing air pollution or environmental policies. London Councils’ (2019) latest report on the public understanding of policies associated with air pollution control shows that more than 90% of respondents from London believe that they are aware of air quality problems, while more than 80% think that controlling policies should be a priority issue. In addition, more than 60% of respondents reported that London’s air quality has changed within the past year; nearly all of them think that the change is negative. However, no of the official sources presented individuals perceptions of existing policies in detail.

Turner and Struthers (2018) conducted a survey in several cities of the United Kingdom, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Lydgate, and Exeter. The participants were divided into seven groups and included individuals using public transport regularly, non-commuting and commuting drivers, rural residents, people vulnerable to air quality, and rural domestic solid fuel users. The study revealed that air pollution was considered one of the most significant environmental concerns in the United Kingdom from the public perspective; individuals living in the urban areas were more concerned about air quality and related policies compared to those living in the rural ones (Turner & Struthers 2018). The findings of the study did not reveal differences in individuals’ perceptions of policies based on their place of residence.

Significance of Citizen Participation

Various studies reveal that citizen participation is highly significant in policy effectiveness. Kochskämper et al. (2016) note that citizen participation in air pollution control policies is substantial, as it is associated with positive environmental and social outcomes. For instance, one part of the authors’ study that was performed in the UK and showed that individuals’ participation enhanced the communication between the public and authorities, which, consequently, could improve the effectiveness of existing policies.

The study by McKinley et al. (2017) shows similar findings and reveals that for municipal and federal agencies, public participation and engagement are crucial in for environmental protection. The authors report that the law requires federal agencies to interact with citizens in the questions of the environment and air pollution, as the government must disclose the impact of its policies. Citizens’ participation can improve policy effectiveness by engaging in research about local environmental issues, changing their management practices from the perspectives of ecology, and include diverse opinions in decision-making (McKinley et al. 2017).

In addition, individuals can improve policies simply by being aware of existing local problems and understanding possible solutions (Brunt et al. 2016). The study by Brunt et al. (2018) also shows that local and community-based participation can empower the government to address diverse environmental issues on all levels by providing information about the challenges they encounter regarding air pollution. It is possible to conclude that public partaking is especially significant for improving policies on a local level.

Another significant part of citizen participation is communication with the authorities. Kirkman and Voulvoulis (2017) note that the role of individuals’ perspectives is vital in developing policies related to environmental issues, as people can propose vital solutions based on their experiences. In addition, by enhancing public participation in establishing control policies, the government can ensure that the social acceptability of what it proposes is improved.

Discussion

It is notable that the impact of air pollution and the significance of related policies are perceived differently in various areas of the UK. For instance, the analysis of studies shows that in London, people are highly aware of the need of regulations aimed at reducing the level of pollution, while in Manchester citizens are not as concerned about the issue although they also experience adverse effects of the problem. Notably, although many individuals do not express their opinions on existing policies, they note that air pollution affected their health negatively and that the level of pollution is growing. In addition, many citizens propose changes the government can make to eliminate the issue, which means that the public is willing to advocate for change and minimize the effects of the problem.

It is notable that many of them are ready to compromise fast travel options, such as flights, to reduce air pollution. Moreover, although many people use cars as the primary transport for commute, they suggest implementing taxes to motivate individuals to use public transport. It means that the impact of air pollution and the lack of effective policies have become significant.

The reviewed studies also show that public participation is highly significant for guiding air pollution-related policies, as individuals can address and report the issues local communities encounter, that the government may overlook. The analysis proves that the government should cooperate with both local organizations and individuals while developing control policies. Such cooperation is vital because people living in various areas may encounter different challenges related to air pollution, which is evident from the examples of London, Manchester, and their residents’ perspectives.

The literature review allows for concluding that currently, there is a gap in understanding public opinion on air pollution-related policies in London and the United Kingdom in general. As mentioned above, no official reports addressed public perspectives of existing control policies. As there is a lack of up-to-date data on public perceptions of the government’s actions, it may be challenging to assess the level of the UK citizens’ awareness of problematic issues and the significance of their participation in resolving them. In addition, the lack of current studies on the public attitude towards air pollution policies in the United Kingdom is notable because there are many articles concentrating on environmental problems in other world’s areas, such as China.

Conclusion

The literature review provides information from peer-reviewed articles and official reports. It features the information collected in London, Manchester, Cardiff, and other cities and reveals that there is a significant gap in current sources regarding the public opinion on existing policies associated with transport-related air pollution. Only a limited number of surveys of policy opinions are available; they do not provide detailed information on individuals’ perspectives. The analysis of the literature shows that citizen participation in policy effectiveness is highly significant, which means that the government should strive to cooperate with local communities in developing regulations.

Reference List

Aditjandra, PT, Cao, XJ & Mulley, C 2016, ‘Exploring changes in public transport use and walking following residential relocation: a British case study’, Journal of Transport and Land Use, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 77-95.

Bergman, N, Schwanen & Sovacool, BK 2017, ‘Imagined people, behaviour and future mobility: insights from visions of electric vehicles and car clubs in the United Kingdom’, Transport Policy, vol. 59, pp.165-173.

Brunt, H, Barnes, J, Jones, SJ, Longhurst, JWS, Scally, G & Hayes, E 2017, ‘Air pollution, deprivation and health: understanding relationships to add value to local air quality management policy and practice in Wales, UK’, Journal of Public Health, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 485-497.

Brunt, H, Barnes, J, Longhurst, JWS, Scally, G & Hayes, E 2016, ‘Local Air Quality Management policy and practice in the UK: the case for greater Public Health integration and engagement’, Environmental Science & Policy, vol. 58, pp. 52-60.

Brunt, H, Barnes, J, Longhurst, JWS, Scally, G & Hayes, E 2018, ‘Enhancing local air quality management to maximise public health integration, collaboration and impact in Wales, UK: A Delphi study’, Environmental Science & Policy, vol. 80, pp. 105-116.

Cox, E & Goggins, D 2018, Atmosphere: Towards a proper strategy for tackling Greater Manchester’s air pollution crisis. Web.

Higham, J, Cohen, SA, Cavaliere, CT, Reis, A & Finkler, W 2016, ‘Climate change, tourist air travel and radical emissions reduction’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 111, pp. 336-347.

House of Commons 2018, Improving air quality.

Kirkman, R & Voulvoulis, N 2017, ‘The role of public communication in decision making for waste management infrastructure’, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 203, pp. 640-647.

Kochskämper, E, Challies, E, Newig, J & Jager, NW 2016, ‘Participation for effective environmental governance? Evidence from Water Framework Directive implementation in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom’, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 181, pp. 737-748.

Li, Y, Guan, D, Tao, S, Wang, X & He, K 2018, ‘A review of air pollution impact on subjective well-being: survey versus visual psychophysics’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 184, pp. 959-968.

London Councils 2019, 2019 Air quality public polling. Web.

McKinley, DC, Miller-Rushing, AJ, Ballard, HL, Bonney, R, Brown, H, Cook-Patton, SC, Evans, DM, French, RA, Parrish, JK, Phillips, TB & Ryan, SF 2017, ‘Citizen science can improve conservation science, natural resource management, and environmental protection’, Biological Conservation, vol. 208, pp. 15-28.

Turner, M & Struthers, R 2018, Public attitudes to air quality. Web.

Xu, J, Chi, CS & Zhu, K, 2017, ‘Concern or apathy: the attitude of the public toward urban air pollution’, Journal of Risk Research, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 482-498.

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