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Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Asked by Mr Andrew SnowdenConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 6 July 2026UIN 14017

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of road transport on national air pollution levels.

Answered by Keir Mather

Government publishes an annual estimate of the contribution of different sources to air pollutant emissions, including road transport. This information is available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants.

Annual UK domestic emissions of nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter from road transport decreased by 73 per cent and 56 per cent respectively between 2005 and 2024. However, road transport remains the largest sole contributor to both nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter emissions.

That is why the Department for Transport is committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harms of pollution. The Department is reducing road transport air pollution by supporting the transition to zero emission vehicles to eliminate tailpipe emissions, addressing particulate pollution from tyre and brake wear, and working with local authorities to tackle pollution hotspots.

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