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Search Global Air Quality Laws
Country
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Canada
- China
- Colombia
- Estonia
- European Union
- Hungary
- Italy
- Paraguay
- Timor-Leste
UN regional group
- Asia and the Pacific Group
- Eastern European Group
- Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
- Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Year
Ambient Air Quality Standards
- In a legislative or legislatively empowered instrument
Responsibility for air quality standards
- National government
- State/provincial government
- Local government
- Shared responsibility
Indoor Air Quality Standards
- Yes
Type of instrument
- Primary legislation
- Other primary legislation
- Secondary legislation
- Policy linked to the legislative framework
Nature of legal obligations
- Duty to meet AAQS (Binding legislative obligation on the state)
- Duty to take BPM to meet standard
- Escalating duty to take action (if AQ worsens)
- Duty to report to public authority
- Duty to plan for achieving AAQS
- Emergency planning requirements for dangerous AQ levels
Exceedances
- Generally allowed exceedances
- Other allowed exceedances (emergency reasons/natural events)
Compliance with WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2005)
-
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.- 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.- 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.- 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.- 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.- 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.- 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.- 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.Legal requirement to monitor
Procedural and substantive rights
- Public right to air quality data (including general right to environmental information)
- Legal right to participate in setting AAQS in legislation
- Legal right to participate in devising air quality plans or actions in legislation
- Legal rights of access to justice (linked directly to air quality framework)
Legal coordination of policy to achieve AAQS
- Legal link between air quality standards and decision-making on projects
- Legally mandated policy coordination for air quality
Enforcement mechanisms
- Criminal
- Civil
- Administrative
- Bespoke enforcement mechanism
- Multi-level governance mechanism (eg EU Commission)
Provisions for transboundary air pollution
- Yes
Showing 1 - 10 of 14 resultsLegislation | 2024 |Directive on Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe
European UnionEuropean 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 | 2019 |Environmental Protection and Management Act, 2019
Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda Environmental Protection and Management Act, 2019 Act 10 of 2019 Published in Official Gazette 37 on 6 June 2019 Assented to on 7 June 2019 Commenced [This is the version of this document from 6 June 2019.] AN ACT to provide for sustainable environmental protection and management of natural resources, to allocate administrative responsibility for the management of environmental...Guidance Document on Achievement Determination for Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide (2020)| 2017 |Miscellaneous
CanadaThis Guidance Document provides information, methodologies, criteria and procedures for reporting on air quality standards for Nitrogen dioxide
KeywordsAmbient air quality standards, Nitrogen dioxide, Concentrations, Zones, Zoning, Monitoring stations, Air quality standards, Air quality, Air quality monitoring, Air pollution, Pollutants, Industrial sources, Allowed exceedances, Ambient air, Air sheds, Mobile point sources, Legislation, Nitrogen monoxide, Stakeholders, Transboundary air pollutionGuidance Document on Achievement Determination: Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone (2012)| 2017 |Miscellaneous
CanadaThis Guidance Document provides information, methodologies, criteria and procedures for reporting on air quality standards for PM and ozone.
KeywordsAmbient air quality standards, PM2.5, Zones, Zoning, Concentrations, Ozone, Air quality monitoring, Monitoring stations, Air quality standards, Air quality, Particulate matter, Air pollution, Pollutants, Ambient air, Air sheds, Monitoring data, Siting criteria, Stakeholders, Agglomerations, Air quality modelling, Concentration-based standards, Industrial sources, Legislation, Nitrogen monoxideResolución Nº 2254 - Norma de calidad del aire ambiente.| 2017 |Regulation
ColombiaLa presente Resolución establece la norma de calidad del aire o nivel de inmisión y adopta disposiciones para la gestión del recurso aire en el territorio nacional, con el objeto de garantizar un ambiente sano y minimizar el riesgo sobre la salud humana que pueda ser causado por la exposición a los contaminantes en la atmósfera. La norma establece los niveles máximos permisibles a condiciones de...
Legislation | 2016 |National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure
AustraliaAustralia National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure Measure ENVIRONMENT-PROTECTION-AMBIENT-AIR-QUALITY of 2016 Commenced [This is the version of this document at 18 May 2021.] Part 1 – Preliminary 1 Citation This Measure may be cited as the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure. 2 Definitions (1) This section defines particular words and expressions used...Regulation No. 75 of 2016 of Minister of the Environment of Estonia on the air quality limit values and target values, other air quality limit values and air quality assessment limits| 2016 |Regulation
EstoniaThis Regulation provides for air quality limit values; the rate of exceeding the permissible air quality limit value; air quality target values; the number of permitted exceedances of the air quality limit value and target value per calendar year; critical level of air quality; air quality alert level; the level of air quality information and the long-term objective; air quality assessment limits...
KeywordsAir quality, PM2.5, Concentration-based standards, Future standards, Legislation, Concentrations, PM10, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Benzene, Allowed exceedances, Permitting, Carbon monoxide, Ammonia, Nitrogen oxidesResolución Nº 259/15 – Por la cual se establecen parámetros permisibles de calidad del aire.| 2015 |Regulation
ParaguayEn el marco de la Ley de calidad del aire, por la presente Resolución se establecen los parámetros permisibles de calidad del aire. El artículo 1º contiene un cuadro detallado según los distintos contaminantes.
KeywordsNitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen monoxide, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxidesAmbient Air Quality Standards (National Standard GB 3095-2012)| 2012 |Miscellaneous
ChinaThis Standard presents requirements for the zoning of ambient air quality function areas, classification of standards, pollution items, data taking time and concentration limits, sampling and analyzing methods and validity of data statistics. It is applicable to the assessment of air quality across China. There are three grades of ambient air quality function areas: Grade I is nature reserves...
KeywordsAmbient air quality standards, Particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5, Ambient airDecree-Law No. 26/2012 establishing the Environmental Basic Legislation.| 2012 |Legislation
Timor-LesteThis Decree-Law, consisting of 10 Chapters, establishes the Environmental Basic Legislation. It specifies the policy on environment and wildlife protection, including the basic principles for conservation, preservation and sustainable use of natural resources in order to improve the quality of life of the local populations. This Decree-Law applies for all the National territory, in particular for...
KeywordsLegislation, Zones, ZoningPagination
- PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)