Chris Whitty: urgent action is needed to tackle air pollution
Last week, Chief Medical Officer for England, Chris Whitty, published his annual report for 2022, which this year focused on air pollution. In the report, he makes recommendations on how air pollution should be tackled by national government, local government and businesses. Chloe from our policy team takes you through the report and what we think needs to happen now.
A rallying call to tackle air pollution
It’s great that Chris Whitty has chosen to write this year’s annual report on air pollution. For the report to be written on this issue at a time when we’re emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic shows just how serious the problem is.
Chris Whitty recognises that there is still much to be done in England to meaningfully reduce outdoor air pollution and says tackling indoor air pollution should now also be a priority.
Air pollution is a public health emergency, responsible for up to 36,000 early deaths a year in the UK. Toxic air affects us from our very first breath, and we know that people with lung conditions are feeling trapped in their homes because high levels of air pollution trigger their symptoms.
Reducing air pollution is critical for public health
The report supports the urgency of action needed on air pollution. Chris Whitty recommends that the Government should accelerate the things we know work to reduce air pollution. The report also recommends that many industries should be involved in measures to improve air quality.
The report recognised that often those who live in the poorest areas experience the highest exposure to air pollution from vehicles. Getting the most polluting vehicles off our roads is key to tackling this, alongside financial support to help people use cleaner modes of transport.
What happens next?
The report should act as a rallying cry to the Government to be bolder in tackling dirty air. Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said:
“Chris Whitty is right to shine a spotlight on the devastating impacts of dirty air, but this isn’t the first report showing how dangerous air pollution can be. How many times does the Government need to be told that air pollution is a public health emergency before it stops dragging its heels and takes bolder action?”
We need to see the recommendations outlined by Chris Whitty in practice. This starts with the government fulfilling their legal obligation to set targets on air quality. It has been over a month since the deadline in the Environment Act for the government to publish these targets has passed, and the Government is putting lives at risk by not taking immediate and meaningful action on air pollution.
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