To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on (a) testing and (b) certification of wood burning stoves in Smoke Control Areas of the World Health Organisation’s new Good practice statements for black carbon and ultrafine particles.
Answered on
14 January 2022
We are already taking steps to reduce emissions from domestic burning. In 2020, we introduced the Domestic Solid Fuels Regulations, which will phase out of the sale of the most polluting domestic solid fuels. As of January 2022, all stoves placed on the market in the UK must be Eco-design compliant.
We have commissioned a £1.6 million research project to systematically estimate the emissions associated with different solids fuels and appliances. We are commissioning an evaluation of the impact of the Domestic Solid Fuels Regulations 2020 and updating our understanding of trends in domestic burning practices, including within smoke control areas.
Additionally, the Government is expanding the PM2.5 monitoring network to enhance measurement of this pollutant nationally.