London in the haze. More than 40,000 premature deaths each year are linked to poor air quality Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesThe UK has “violated its obligations” to protect its citizens by taking inadequate action over air quality, the UN has said in a report which also raises concerns about environmental standards after Brexit. The government’s latest proposals to tackle pollution, which includes a future ban on new petrol and diesel cars, do “not convey the necessary urgency” to help stem more than 40,000 premature deaths a year linked to poor air quality. In a report by the UN’s special rapporteur on toxic wastes, Baskut Tuncak, to be presented to the Human Rights Council today and seen by The Guardian, the UK is urged to implement a “robust clean air plan without delay”. “The special rapporteur is alarmed that despite repeated judicial instruction .

Source: The Times September 11, 2017 07:52 UTC