Wood Burner Industry Lobbyists Issue Legal Threats to Councils Over Anti-Pollution Campaigns
Lobbyists representing the UK wood-burning stove industry have escalated tensions by sending legal threats to multiple councils, alleging that public information campaigns highlighting the dangers of air pollution from domestic burning violate advertising standards. According to research conducted by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), at least eight councils, all located in London boroughs, received these threats in late 2023.
Details of the Legal Threats and Industry Complaints
The Stove Industry Association (SIA), which advocates for the expanding domestic wood-burning sector, specifically targeted councils over flyers that described wood burners as "careless, not cosy." The SIA argued that these materials breached UK advertising codes, prompting formal complaints. The BMJ's investigation, which utilized Freedom of Information Act requests to the 50 councils with the highest concentration of wood burners, revealed additional instances of industry pressure.
Oxford City Council faced a complaint from the SIA in December 2022 regarding a public health campaign, though this did not involve legal threats. Similarly, Brighton and Hove was subject to a complaint by Hove Wood Burners to the Advertising Standards Authority. Furthermore, the SIA lobbied seven other councils, with some industry materials controversially claiming that wood burning offers "health and wellbeing benefits," such as lowering blood pressure, despite scientific evidence linking it to carcinogenic byproducts.
Health Risks and Campaigner Reactions
Jemima Hartshorn, founder and director of the pressure group Mums for Lungs, expressed shock at the findings, comparing the tactics to those historically used by the tobacco industry. She emphasized that domestic wood burning significantly contributes to toxic air pollution, which is associated with over 700 illnesses, including cardiac and lung issues, cancer, and dementia. Hartshorn criticized the industry for downplaying health evidence to obstruct public awareness efforts.
In response, an SIA spokesperson stated that their correspondence aimed to ensure council campaigns were proportionate, balanced, and distinguished between open fires, older appliances, and modern eco-design-compliant stoves. However, eco-design stoves, while emitting lower levels of PM2.5 particles than open fires, still produce emissions approximately 450 times greater than gas boilers. Recent research links wood burning to around 2,500 deaths annually in the UK, with PM2.5 particles implicated in conditions ranging from miscarriage to dementia and respiratory problems.
Broader Context and Government Consultation
Domestic burning has emerged as one of the UK's largest sources of air pollution, accounting for about 20% of fine particulate matter emissions. Approximately one in ten UK households now owns a wood-burning stove, driven in part by promotion from interior designers and fashion brands. While some installations occur in rural areas with limited heating alternatives, an increasing number are found in densely populated urban settings, often supplementing existing gas boilers and exacerbating local air quality issues.
The UK government is currently running a consultation on wood-burning stoves, but health campaigners have criticized it for excluding options to ban or restrict use in urban areas. Instead, the consultation proposes measures such as promoting lower-emitting stoves and implementing health warnings. Campaigners liken this approach to advising smokers to switch to low-tar cigarettes, noting it offers only marginal improvements while still posing significant health risks. The consultation is set to conclude on March 19.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commented, "Dirty air robs people of their health and costs our NHS millions each year to treat lung conditions and asthma. We are consulting on taking action to reduce emissions from domestic burning, and their impact on the health of householders and their neighbours. By limiting emission levels and introducing new labels as outlined in our consultation, families will be able to make better, healthier choices when heating their homes."
