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Search Global Air Quality Laws
Country
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Bhutan
- Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Czechia
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- European Union
- Finland
- Germany
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea
- Republic of Moldova
- Romania
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
- Viet Nam
UN regional group
- African 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
- In a non-binding 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
- Policy/guidance
- More than one
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 41 - 50 of 79 resultsArrêté du Gouvernement wallon relatif à l'évaluation et la gestion de la qualité de l'air ambiant.| 2010 |Regulation
BelgiumLe présent arrêté a pour objectifs d'organiser l'évaluation et la gestion de la qualité de l'air ambiant en vue de: 1) définir et fixer des objectifs concernant la qualité de l'air ambiant afin d'éviter, de prévenir ou de réduire les effets nocifs pour la santé humaine et pour l'environnement dans son ensemble; 2) évaluer la qualité de l'air ambiant sur la base de méthodes et de critères communs...
KeywordsZoning, Zones, Concentrations, Agglomerations, PM2.5, Benzo(a)pyrene, PM10, Benzene, Air pollution, Industrial sources, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter, Methane, Nitrogen monoxideCabinet Regulation No. 1290 on Ambient Air Quality| 2009 |Regulation
LatviaThe Regulation prescribes quality standards for outdoor air in the troposphere (excluding workplaces) in the territory of Latvia, as well as deadlines for ensuring of ambient air quality standards; permissible level of air pollutants in the environment and characteristic values thereof; parameters, monitoring methods and methods which are used in order to determine exceedance of the relevant...
KeywordsConcentrations, Legislation, Air quality monitoring, Air quality, Concentration-based standards, Ambient air, Monitoring stations, Air quality standards, Ambient air quality standards, Zoning, Pollutants, Future standards, Agglomerations, Particulate matter, Zones, PM10, Air pollution, Ozone, Alert thresholds, Nitrogen dioxide, Allowed exceedances, Benzo(a)pyrene, Compliance, PM2.5, Ambient air pollution, Benzene, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Sulphur dioxide, Air quality modelling, Carbon monoxide, Data quality, Nitrogen oxides, Vulnerable groups, Access to information, Industrial sources, Nitrogen monoxide, Elemental carbon, Monitoring data, Volatile organic compoundsRegulation on Reduction and Prevention of Air Pollution.| 2009 |Regulation
AfghanistanThis Regulation is enacted to establish the goals for reduction and prevention of air pollution, prevention of damages to the human beings and environment by the high risk air pollution and prevention of spread and distribution of changing elements of the physical and chemical structure of air. The Regulation identifies the air polluting elements including automobiles and motoring vehicles...
KeywordsAir pollution, Legislation, Industrial sources, Concentration-based standardsClean Air Ordinance.| 2008 |Regulation
LiechtensteinThe present Ordinance implements the Environment Protection Act of 29 May 2008. In particular, the Ordinance shall protect human beings, animals, plants and their organized communities, as well as the soil against harmful and annoying air pollution. Moreover, the Ordinance shall reduce green house gas emissions. The text consists of 34 articles divided into 5 Parts as follows: General provisions...
KeywordsAir pollution, Nitrogen dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides, PM10, PM2.5, Benzene, Zones, Zoning, Sulphur dioxide, Sulphur oxidesEnforcement Decree of the Clean Air Conservation Act (Presidential Decree No. 20383 of 2007).| 2007 |Regulation
Republic of KoreaThis Decree implements provisions of the Clean Air Conservation Act. It provides among other things for: areas subject to air pollution alert; measures for the prevention of damage caused by yellow dust; composition of the Yellow Dust Prevention Committee; installation of emission facilities; emission of pollutants dues; the use of low-sulfur oil, clean fuel and solid fuel; regulations on volatile...
KeywordsAir pollution, Enforcement, Industrial sources, Pollutants, Concentrations, Legislation, Permitting, Volatile organic compounds, Inspection, Air quality monitoring, Concentration-based standards, Sulphur oxides, Air quality, Compliance, Ozone, PM10, PM2.5, Air quality modelling, Burning, Nitrogen oxidesCabinet Decree No.12 of 2006 concerning the Protection of Air from Pollution.| 2006 |Regulation
United Arab EmiratesThis Decree consisting of 16 articles and VIII Annexes establishes that (i) the emission or the leakage of the gaseous and solid pollutants and vapors to the ambient air shall not exceed the maximum allowable limits; (ii) car and vehicle emissions may not exceed the maximum allowable limits; (iii) during the combustion of any sort of hydrocarbon fuels for any purposes, smoke, gases, and vapor...
KeywordsPollutants, Air pollution, Industrial sources, Concentration-based standards, Legislation, Burning, Ambient air, Air quality monitoring, Zoning, Monitoring stations, Permitting, Public health, Concentrations, Compliance, Benzene, Fixed point sources, Workers, Waste burning, Ambient air quality standardsResolution No. 4 of 2005 by the Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) issuing executive bylaw for law No. 30 of 2002 on environment protection.| 2005 |Regulation
QatarThis Resolution consisting of 93 articles divided into 4 Chapters sets out requirements and expectations in respect of environmental management and waste management. Under this By-Law, industries should develop their environmental monitoring programs for atmospheric, aqueous, and solid waste discharges. Articles 4 - 20 regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment follow these main steps (i) the...
KeywordsEnvironmental impact assessments, Air quality monitoring, PermittingRegulation No. 28 of 2005 on air protection.| 2005 |Regulation
JordanThe aim of this Regulation is to protect the air against pollution. This Regulation is composed of 15 articles. Articles 1 and 2 deal with terms and definitions. Article 3 imposes upon all establishments and installations the respect of maximum emission levels of air pollutants. Article 4 entrusts the Ministry of Environment to classify the installations producing air pollutants. Article 6 defines...
KeywordsLegislationDecree No. 18/2004 approving the Regulation on Environmental Quality and Effluents’ Emissions.| 2004 |Regulation
MozambiqueThis Decree approves the Regulation on Environmental Quality and Effluents’ Emissions. The aim is to define environmental quality patterns for granting an effective control and management of pollutant concentration levels in environmental components. The annexed Regulation is composed of 26 articles and 6 annexes divided in six Chapters. It defines air quality standards and emission requirements...
KeywordsLegislation, Sulphur dioxide, Air pollution, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen monoxide, Concentrations, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur oxides, Carbon monoxide, Ammonia, Volatile organic compounds, Pollutants, Air quality standardsPagination
- PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)