Renewable electricity could boost air quality by 2030

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) believes the UK could generate the bulk of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, which will have a hugely positive impact on air quality.

Members of the organisation have predicted that between 60 and 90 per cent of Britain's power requirement could feasibly be sourced from sustainable places by this point.

In its latest report called Positive Energy, the WWF found that the UK could be "largely decarbonised" and still run efficiently without the need to resort to nuclear power.

The group also stated that to reach the 90 per cent target, Britain will need to connect its energy network to the rest of Europe.

WWF-UK chief executive David Nussbaum labelled the report as "inspiring" and "entirely realistic".

The importance of cutting down on air pollution was recently highlighted by researchers at the University of California, who said pregnant women living in areas with poor air quality are 30 per cent more likely to give birth prematurely.

Posted by Claire Manning