News

Global Action Plan welcomes the publication of a long-awaited government review which sets out to ensure people across the UK can benefit from better access to the air quality information they need to protect their health. Public engagement on air pollution must go hand-in-hand with the policy changes needed to clean up our air.

The Air Quality Information System (AQIS) review – which Global Action Plan gave evidence to – highlighted a range of issues that are currently preventing the public from accessing and understanding air quality information in the UK.

The review makes a range of recommendations for improving public awareness of the health harms of air pollution, many of which Global Action Plan has been calling for over the years, including: 

• Developing and implementing a multi-year strategy to raise public awareness of air pollution and inform people of actions they can take to protect themselves. 
• Educating healthcare professionals on the health impacts of air pollution, working with the Royal Medical Colleges to ensure that air pollution is included in medical school curriculums.
• Developing educational resources to help community groups raise public awareness, as well as teaching about air quality in schools.  
• Improving the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) to better communicate the short and long-term risks of air pollution exposure and the latest medical advice, as well as expanding the air pollution alert system. 
   

Larissa Lockwood, Director of Policy & Campaigns at Global Action Plan said:

“We welcome these recommendations as an important step towards ensuring that everyone in the UK has the information they need to take action on air pollution. Now we need to see them implemented. Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health in the UK, causing a range of concerning health conditions including heart and lung disease, diabetes and dementia. It’s crucial we all understand the scale of the problem and what we can do to protect ourselves, call for action, and clean up the air.  

 “For many years we have been working to improve public awareness and understanding of air quality through our Clean Air Day campaign, as well as working with healthcare professionals, schools and organisations to provide them with the resources they need to take action. It’s great to see the government commit to improving public awareness of air pollution – especially through developing its own public awareness campaign and including air pollution in medical school curriculums – and we look forward to working with the government to ensure these recommendations are implemented urgently.” 

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Want to find out more about our work to improve public understanding of air pollution and encourage action to clean up the air? Here are some resources and ways to get involved:

• Visit the Clean Air Hub to learn more about air pollution and how it affects your health and the environment.
• Clean Air Day is returning on 19 June 2025 to empower people across the UK to call for cleaner air - to be the first to find out about this year's campaign and how you can get involved, sign up to our clean air newsletter.
• Health professionals can learn more about air pollution by visiting the Clean Air Academy. If you also work within or with an Integrated Care System (ICS) and want to tackle health inequalities regionally, sign up to our online ICS Clean Air Framework tool to improve air quality and health outcomes in your area.