Domestic Burning in Scotland

Our report outlines Asthma + Lung UK Scotland’s position on domestic burning looking at the health, social and environmental impacts of burning solid fuels, highlighting the current policy context and recommending policies to the Scottish Government.

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The Scottish Government aims to have the cleanest air in Europe. Asthma + Lung UK Scotland supports that ambition, and we need to see bold actions to make that ambition a reality. In this report, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland looks at how domestic burning policies and interventions can really make the air in Scotland the cleanest it possibly can be.

We would like to see the Scottish Government support the following recommendations to be taken forward during the implementation of CAFS2 and into the next iteration of the strategy:

  1. The Scottish Government, alongside it's public health and environmental agencies, should deliver a national awareness raising campaign to set out clear health advice.
  2. A ban on the sale of the most polluting fuels.
  3. Deliver a nationwide scrappage scheme for the most inefficient wood burners.
  4. Set up PM2.5 monitoring stations in every community.
  5. Use data from increased monitoring to communicate health alerts to people living with lung conditions.
  6. Revise all legislation covering Smoke Control Areas (SCA's) to better support local authorities to implement and enforce SCA's.