National Clean Air Day – Thursday, 20 June 2019
Health & Safety June 17 2019National Clean Air Day is on Thursday 20 June 2019. Coordinated by the Charity, Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day brings together communities, businesses, education and the health sector to improve public understanding of air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, to build awareness of how air pollution affects our health and to explain some of the easy things we can all do to tackle air pollution, helping to protect the environment and our health too.
The campaign for cleaner air is not just for one day every summer, but for 365 days a year. The Global Action Plan is to ensure that everyone has the information they need about air quality so they can lead their lives in the most non-polluting and health-enhancing way. So Global Action Plan campaigns to help people:-
- Minimise car travel and switch to walking/cycling
- Make the transition to electric vehicles
- Manage air pollution in the home
Costs of air pollution
Air pollution harms the health of millions, particularly young children and those with lung and heart problems. It’s a public health issue on a par with cancer and heart disease – and costs the UK some £20 billion a year.
Through simple messages, such as walking or cycling to school, the campaign aims to inspire thousands of people up and down the country to take part in events in their schools, communities or at work.
About Clean Air Day 2019
In 2018 more than 2,000 organisations and thousands of individuals took part in 550 events across the UK. The campaign generated more than 1,750 media items, and 51,000 tweets. Central to the campaign is the UK’s leading public information portal on air pollution and health www.cleanairday.org.uk.
The 2018 campaign, in the run up to Clean Air Day on 21 June, got off to a brilliant start with a story about the London Marathon in late April. Research revealed a massive 89% drop in the capital’s air pollution on the day of the Marathon when the streets were closed off to traffic. This was picked up not only by the UK national media, but internationally too. The campaign
peaked on Clean Air Day itself, with events up and down the country, Global Action Plan staff appearing on TV and radio news to talk about air pollution, and #CleanAirDay trending on Twitter for eight hours. Many people took up the challenge to walk or cycle to work, college or school. In Edinburgh they closed off the Mound to traffic for the morning, landscaping and installing benches to make the area more pedestrian-friendly. In Manchester a hospital ran free bike maintenance sessions for its 3,000 staff. Portsmouth gave away free park-and-ride tickets to encourage people to use more public transport. And in Lambeth, London, as part of a week of events, a school installed a screen of ivy to protect it from pollution from a nearby road. The 2018 campaign clocked up more than 1,450 news or broadcast items since the beginning of April. This, combined with social media, meant there was a staggering reach of more than 900 million. At least 2,000 organisations engaged in the day and there were more than 550 events. Most important of all, however, is that the air pollution message, and what can be done to tackle it, is now firmly in the mind of many more people.
The full report on National Clean Air Day 2018 is available at:-
https://www.cleanairday.org.uk/news/clean-air-day-2018-impact-and-celebration-report
Groundbreaking Research
Over the course of 2018 ‘Global Action Plan’ revealed new research about:
- Awareness of the dangers of air pollution in our homes
- How car engine cold starts double air pollution
- The health costs of air pollution from cars and vans
- How young children are being exposed to 30% more air pollution than adults while walking to school.
Global Action Plan
Global Action Plan is a charity that’s working for a green and thriving planet where we can live happily without ruining the Earth we depend on. They’re experts in helping people live more sustainable lifestyles. They do this by making connections between what’s good for people and good for the planet. They are the organisation behind National Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest air pollution campaign. They work with young people on reducing consumerism and increasing wellbeing – what’s good for people is often greener too. And they bring business and young people together to work on a sustainable future – helping young people develop the skills and knowledge to tackle environmental issues is good for the planet and for everyone’s future too.
Resources
Campaign downloadable resources including leaflets/posters etc are available at:-
https://www.cleanairday.org.uk/forms/clean-air-day-resources
CONTACT & FURTHER INFORMATION Global Action Plan 9-13 Kean Street London WC2B 4AY Tel: 020 7420 4444 Email: info@globalactionplan.org.uk
Website: https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/