Views on transport and home heating sought for Northern Ireland’s first Clean Air Strategy

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a public consultation on Northern Ireland’s first dedicated Clean Air Strategy to 2032.

A combination of proposed and existing measures set out in the strategy have implications for the built environment, particularly as two of the three main sources of harmful air pollution in Northern Ireland are:

• Traffic emissions in towns and cities.
• The burning of solid fuels, such as coal and wet wood, in homes.

Why is the strategy being proposed?

DAERA identifies air pollution as a significant risk to human health. It estimates that between 470 and 730 deaths each year in Northern Ireland are attributable to long-term exposure to air pollution.

The department also estimates that air pollution cost Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care system between £55 million and £190 million between 2017 and 2025.

Actions relevant to the built environment

The following proposed actions for the Northern Ireland Executive may be of particular interest to RSUA members:

• Launch an annual public awareness campaign, with potential topics including solid fuel burning, wet wood burning and indoor air quality.
• By December 2026, publish draft local transport plans for Belfast and the North West, with the aim of facilitating more sustainable travel.
• By the end of 2027, issue a “Call for Evidence” to seek views on introducing secondary legislation to restrict or phase out the use of coal, solid fuels and unseasoned wood for home heating.
• By 2030, increase investment in active travel to 10% of the overall transport budget.

Have your say

The consultation closes on Tuesday 27 October 2026.

The full consultation details can be accessed here.

RSUA is preparing a response to the consultation. If you would like to share your views, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk