Legislation Explorer | UNEP Law and Environment Assistance Platform

Search Global Air Quality Laws

PM2.5 (10 μg/m3 annual mean 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
PM10 (50 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
Ozone (100 μg/m3 8-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
NO2 (40 μg/m3 annual mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
NO2 (200 μg/m3 1-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
SO2 (20 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
SO2 (500 μg/m3 10-minute mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
Newly acknowledged pollutants
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- Yes

Showing 1 - 10 of 56 results

Legislation | 2024 |

European Union

Directive on Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe

European Union Directive on Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe Directive 2881 of 2024 Published in Official Journal of the European Union on 20 November 2024 There are multiple commencements Provisions Status Chapter I, article 1, paragraph 1–3; article 3–4, paragraph 1–5, subparagraph (a)–(i); paragraph (2); paragraph (7); paragraph (9); paragraph (14)–(16); paragraph (18); paragraph...

Legislation

| 2023 |

Slovakia

Air protection act no. 146/2023.

The aim of air protection is to achieve and maintain air quality that does not have a significant negative impact on human health and is not a risk to the environment and ecosystems. This Act regulates: (a) monitoring and assessment of air quality and the impact of air pollution on ecosystems; (b) informing the public about air quality, the impact of air pollution on public health and ecosystems;...

Keywords

Air pollution, PM2.5, PM10, Concentration-based standards, Air quality, Zones, Zoning, Concentrations, Air quality monitoring, Fixed point sources, Public health, Pollutants, Compliance, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur dioxide, Ammonia, Permitting, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Nitrogen monoxide

Regulation

| 2022 |

Ireland

Ambient Air Quality Standards Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 739/2022)

These Regulations, for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008: establish limit values and, as appropriate, alert thresholds for concentrations of certain pollutants in ambient air intended to avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole; provide for the assessment of...

Keywords

Air quality monitoring, Ambient air, Concentrations, Air quality, Zones, Zoning, Pollutants, Monitoring stations, Legislation, Ozone, Agglomerations, Concentration-based standards, Future standards, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter, Alert thresholds, PM2.5, Sulphur dioxide, Ambient air quality standards, Benzene, Carbon monoxide, Compliance, Air quality plans, Allowed exceedances, Air pollution, Data quality, PM10, National emissions ceilings, Permitting, Volatile organic compounds, Vulnerable groups

Regulation

| 2020 |

Croatia

Decree on air pollutant levels.

This Decree prescribes limit values and target values for individual air pollutants, long-term targets and target values for ground-level ozone in the air, and depending on the properties of the pollutant, prescribes upper and lower assessment thresholds, target values, average exposure indicator for particulate matter, target exposure reduction at national level, exposure concentration, critical...

Keywords

Particulate matter, Pollutants, Concentrations, Nitrogen monoxide, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, PM10

Regulation

| 2020 |

New Zealand

Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Air Quality) Regulations 2004 ("NES Regulations 2004")

Keywords

Air quality, Legislation, Air sheds, PM10, Burning, Ambient air quality standards, Concentrations, Pollutants, Allowed exceedances, Air pollution, Air quality monitoring, Sulphur dioxide, Volatile organic compounds, Waste burning, Zoning, Carbon monoxide, Fuel burning, Monitoring stations, Particulate matter

Regulation

| 2019 |

Sweden

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's regulations on control of air quality

Keywords

Legislation, PM10, PM2.5, Air quality, Particulate matter, Access to information

Regulation

| 2018 |

France

Code de l’environnement (Partie réglementaire)

La partie réglementaire du code de l'environnement est fondée sur les décrets suivants: le décret n° 2005-934 du 2 août 2005 relatif à la partie réglementaire du code de l'environnement; le décret n° 2005-935 du 2 août 2005 relatif à la partie réglementaire du code de l'environnement (Livres I, III, IV); le décret n° 2007-396 du 22 mars 2007 relatif aux dispositions du livre II de la partie...

Keywords

Industrial sources, Zoning, Zones

Regulation

| 2018 |

Georgia

Resolution No. 383 of 2018 of Georgian Government on Standards for Ambient Air Quality

The Resolution adopts technical regulations on ambient air quality standards. It consists of nine articles: Scope of regulation (1); Purpose and objectives of the Resolution (2); Definition of terms (3); Permissible values of concentration of certain pollutants in ambient air and maximum margin of tolerance (4); Assessment margins of certain pollutants in ambient air (5); Target value of certain...

Keywords

Ambient air, PM2.5, Air quality, PM10, Nitrogen dioxide, Benzene, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide

Regulation

| 2017 |

Finland

Government Decree on air quality (No. 79 of 2017).

The present Decree implements Directive 2008/50/EC and complements the Environmental Protection Act on matters related to air quality. Section 3 specifies the authorities' tasks in monitoring the quality of the air. Municipalities shall in their territories oversee the air quality in accordance with Section 143 of the Environmental Act. Industry, traffic and environmental centres shall have...

Keywords

Air quality, PM10, Nitrogen dioxide, Air quality monitoring, PM2.5, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur dioxide, Particulate matter, Nitrogen monoxide, Concentration-based standards, Concentrations, Ambient air, Benzene, Carbon monoxide, Ozone, Future standards, Pollutants, Elemental carbon, Organic carbon, Access to information

Regulation

| 2017 |

North Macedonia

Decree amending and supplementing the Decree on limit values for levels and types of pollutants in ambient air and alert thresholds, deadlines for reaching limit values, tolerance margins for limit value, target values and long-term goals.

This amending Regulation establishes new criteria for managing air quality, focusing on alarm and information thresholds for PM10 concentrations. It introduces a definition of "stable weather conditions," updates section titles to address thresholds and deadlines, and mandates alerts when PM10 levels exceed limits for two consecutive days during stable weather. Emphasis is placed on systematic...

Keywords

Concentration-based standards, PM10, Concentrations, Alert thresholds, Pollutants, Ambient air, Future standards, Legislation, Air quality, Air quality monitoring

Search Global Air Quality Laws

Year

Ambient Air Quality Standards

Responsibility for air quality standards

Indoor Air Quality Standards

Type of instrument

Nature of legal obligations

Exceedances

Compliance with WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2005)

Legal requirement to monitor

Procedural and substantive rights

Legal coordination of policy to achieve AAQS

Enforcement mechanisms

Provisions for transboundary air pollution

Search Global Air Quality Laws

Country

UN regional group

Year

Ambient Air Quality Standards

Responsibility for air quality standards

Indoor Air Quality Standards

Type of instrument

Nature of legal obligations

Exceedances

Compliance with WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2005)

Legal requirement to monitor

Procedural and substantive rights

Legal coordination of policy to achieve AAQS

Enforcement mechanisms

Provisions for transboundary air pollution