Promoting Air Quality Policy Adoption and Change

Abstract: Air pollution is a localised issue but negatively influences health and finance globally. Conurbations and regional governments struggle to find the best policy solutions to meet air quality limit levels while competing over resources and attempting to secure growth. As such, methods to increase the adoption of effective pollution-focused policies are warranted. This thesis has set out to create a framework for understanding the relationship between behaviour change of policy makers and the adoption of new air quality policies at regional levels of government. Chapter four of this thesis looked into the quality and results of previous literature through a systematic review (study 1), investigating how previous interventions have attempted to promote policy adoption. Within chapter five, a vignette study with policy practitioners (study 2; n = 15) was conducted to evaluate the use of intervention functions. Alongside the vignette study, an online questionnaire looked at perceived barriers to policy adoption. Data from both were amalgamated using thematic analysis. Finally, in chapter six, the use of interventions to promote air quality policy and the state of current UK air quality policy was reviewed (study 3). Collectively these studies have contributed to the understanding of how intervention functions influence policy intention formation and policy adoption. The combined outcomes of these studies suggest a) a need for increased education of policymakers and b) for councils to share learning and take inspiration from each other. Throughout the studies, key barriers to policy intentions and policy adoption were investigated, the most prominent being economic and administrative barriers. Within chapter seven, results are summarised and directions for future research and practice are suggested.