Global Action Plan is working with individuals, businesses, hospitals, schools and other organisations to tackle air pollution.

Air pollution is an urgent public health issue on a similar scale to heart disease, smoking and obesity. It affects children and inner-city residents the most, and makes life worse for those with lung and heart conditions.

People are a powerful force and should be central to beating pollution, but not enough is being done to inform, help and mobilise those concerned about pollution to take effective action.

Why Global Action Plan is working on air pollution
We’re an environment charity that encourages people to live more sustainable lives by making connections between what’s good for them and good for the planet.

We know that helping people take action on air pollution leads to them both reducing pollution as well as avoiding breathing the worst pollution.

We believe that people’s choices and voices have a crucial role to play. Choosing to drive less, switch to electric vehicles, and burn less fuel at home can get pollution down to safer levels.

Choosing to use non-toxic products at home, walk or cycle instead of driving, and stroll down side streets instead of the main roads can cut the pollution we breathe by over 50%.

Voicing support for major pollution-cutting action led by councils and government makes that action more likely to happen – from more public transport to tighter vehicle standards.

Global Action Plan's track record with clean air
We're the coordinators of Clean Air Day, the UK's largest air quality campaign, mobilising thousands of people to organise and take part in pollution-busting activities.

In 2018 these included street closures, electric vehicles test drives, car-free school runs, mass cycles and 550 events.

The campaign had a reach of 970 million, and generated more than 1,750 media items and 50,000 social posts. We have provided clean air toolkits to thousands of businesses, schools, housing associations, hospitals and health centres.

We persuaded Tesco, Network Rail, Engie and 16 of the country’s largest car fleets to commit to ditching diesel. We helped O2 Telefonica cut emissions and the pollution their employees breathe by increasing their rate of homeworking to 95%.

And we have given training and materials to health workers across London to help them advise patients on how to limit pollution’s impact on their health.