Wood burner emission rules may be tightened

RULES for wood burners could be tightened to lower their smoke emissions as part of the Government's updated environment plan.

- REBECCA SPEARE-COLE

The Government said it will consult on measures to reduce the environmental impact of the public burning wood, such as in stoves and bonfires, as it unveiled the revised environmental improvement plan (EIP) yesterday.

Under the proposals, manufacturers of stoves that use “solid fuel” could have to phase out or amend older models to ensure they meet the new standards. This will not involve a ban on the use of older stoves that have already been sold.

Pollution limits may also be tightened in smoke control areas of the country, where there are restrictions on what fuels can be domestically burned in fireplaces or stoves.

Ministers said the consultation will seek to minimise the impact these changes have on those who need to burn wood and to respect traditional celebratory festivals such as Bonfire Night and Diwali.

It comes as part of the proposed measures to tackle air pollution in the updated EIP, which replaced the last government's plan with a series of new environmental targets.

The Government has tightened the target to cut the concentrations of PM2.5 - a fine particulate pollutant linked to asthma, lung disease and heart conditions - by 30% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.

According to the official figures, a fifth of PM2.5 emissions in 2023 came from domestic combustion.