Commentary on Sections Part 1 – Air quality Chapter 1 – National targets Section 2 – Air quality targets: particulate matter
13.This section imposes a duty on Welsh Ministers to set at least one target, in regulations, in respect of the annual mean level of PM2.5 in ambient air in Wales. This is referred to as a “PM2.5 air quality target” in this section and Chapter 1 of the Act (and this reference has the same meaning within these Explanatory Notes).
14.Subsection (2) provides that a PM2.5 air quality target may be a long-term target, but it does not have to be.
15.Subsection (3) defines PM2.5 as particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter not exceeding 2.5 micrometres. Subsection (4) provides that the Welsh Ministers must ensure that “ambient air” is defined for the purpose of each PM2.5 target and that regulations under section 2 may contain different definitions for different targets.
16.Subsection (5) applies subsections (3) to (4) and (6) to (8) of section 1 to regulations made under this section: see above for an explanation of the effect of these provisions. This means, for example, that regulations setting a PM2.5 air quality target must specify the standard to be achieved (which must be capable of being objectively measured) and must specify a date by which that standard is to be achieved.