World leading governance for clean air
Air pollution is the single largest environmental threat to public health. It is estimated to cause at least 29,000 deaths each year in the UK.
Breathing poor quality air increases the risk of developing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, dementia, and chronic respiratory conditions. Air pollution also damages and degrades the natural environment.
As part of our recommendations to the UK Government for 2024-2029, the IES published this chapter on 'world leading governance for clean air', which sets out recommendations on ambient and indoor air quality.
Our recommendations for the UK Government
- Secure a world-leading governance framework for air quality, raising the ambition of existing strategies and targets, and addressing governance gaps.
- Back local authorities to deliver on clean air, through increased powers, funding and clear guidance.
- Raise the profile of indoor air quality in the UK’s approach to public health and take immediate action to tackle the sources of poor indoor air quality.
- Produce ambitious strategies for highly polluting industries and novel contaminants.
- Expand air quality monitoring and alert networks, facilitating the use of high-quality equipment and best practice to provide robust data that informs decision making.
More on policy affecting air quality
Find out more
Read our recommendations for other fields of environmental science in 'Our Shared Mission for Sustainable Wellbeing'.
To find out more about the topic, you can read our briefing on the latest developments in clean air policy. To support knowledge exchange, professional development, and advocacy for clean air, join the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM).
If you want to support the work of the IES, you can become an affiliate, or if you’re a professional in the environmental sector working with science, consider joining the IES.
Header image credit: © Nicola | Adobe Stock
