Yesterday morning Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Rusholme, hosted an event organised by Global Action Plan in partnership with Health Equals to discuss the issue of domestic wood burning in the UK.
Also present were Rt Hon Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE, Dawn Butler MP, Lord Randall and Ruth Jones MP. Speaking at the event were Rohit Chakraborty from the UK Health Security Agency and Hazel Agombar from Mums for Lungs.
Working from current figures, Global Action Plan believe that another million wood burning stoves could be installed in UK homes over the next four years. That’s a rate of nearly 700 each day. When you see figures like that, it’s no surprise that the stove industry is so defensive.
One of the defences they use is that ‘Ecodesign’ stoves reduce emissions, framing them as a healthy option. However Global Action Plan have analysed latest National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) data and found that over the last five years – since these stoves were introduced – emissions from them are now equivalent to those from all English power stations.
In December last year, Global Action Plan published a policy pathway document towards the phasing out of domestic wood burning by 2030 and they shared this with attendees at yesterday’s event.
The report recommends a variety of measures including improving public awareness, enhancing the effectiveness of Smoke Control Areas—such as by monitoring PM2.5 levels in addition to visible smoke—and equipping local authorities with the necessary powers and resources to manage domestic burning-related pollution in ways that best suit their local needs.
Larissa Lockwood, Director of Policy & Campaigns at Global Action Plan said: ‘Largely driven by a rise in urban homes installing wood burning stoves, domestic burning is now one of the biggest sources of toxic fine particle air pollution in the UK and has become a public health problem. A relatively small proportion of people burn wood – and the vast majority of those who choose to do in our towns and cities so have another form of heating – but the health impacts are felt by everyone.
‘This is a clear equity issue that should be addressed urgently by the UK government. We have developed a mix of policy recommendations with experts that if implemented together would effectively phase out air pollution from domestic burning in urban areas by 2030. We look forward to working with policymakers to ensure that ambitious action is taken to tackle this burning issue.’
Afzal Khan MP for Manchester Rusholme commented: ‘Air pollution is an issue that disproportionately impacts my constituents in Manchester. The burning of wood and other solid fuels in the home is one of the largest sources of fine particle air pollution in the UK, causing and worsening serious health problems including heart and lung disease, dementia and diabetes. I want to see action taken so that people are aware of the health harms caused by domestic burning, and everyone can breathe clean air.’
Hazel Agombar, volunteer for Mums for Lungs and clean air campaigner shared her experiences of living in a woodsmoke air pollution hotspot: ‘I am the mother of three sons, a charity worker and a cancer survivor. In the past four years I have been diagnosed twice with primary breast cancer. I was low risk for developing breast cancer on the other side – in view of my lifestyle and my genetic profile yet, five months ago I was given a second diagnosis of breast cancer.
‘I will never know for sure that living in a woodsmoke hot spot has caused my cancer, but we know for certain now that breathing polluted air increases the risk of cancer. I am recovering at home from cancer surgery knowing that I am breathing carcinogenic fumes from my neighbours’ log burners.’
Rachel Pidgeon, Portfolio Manager at Impact on Urban Health, said: ‘Wood burning stoves are a growing source of air pollution in urban areas like London, and that has severe consequences for people’s health. But most people who burn in urban areas do so for aesthetic reasons and have alternative ways for heating their homes. Increasing awareness of the links between wood burning, air pollution and lasting damaging effects on health, is an essential part of reducing pollution from domestic burning and supporting a transition to other energy sources for those who need it.’
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