Call for national inquiry into air pollution inequalities

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been urged to carry out a national inquiry into the disproportionate health impacts of air pollution.

The call comes from a group of 150 scientists, MPs and activists, with a collaborative letter having been written to the prime minister about the issue.

Organised by Enact Equality, the letter highlights the unequal impacts of air pollution on low-income families and ethnic minority communities, citing research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which reveals that lower-income areas of England have ‘persistently higher levels’ of air pollution than wealthier areas.

The research also found that ethnic minority populations faced exposure to air pollution levels that were roughly 6% higher than those experienced by white populations.

Highlighting the harmful health effects of air pollution, which is linked to heart disease, strokes, cancer, and asthma, the letter calls for ‘comprehensive, Government-led scrutiny of how air pollution exposure intersects with structural inequality’.

Otherwise, ‘these injustices will persist, and the communities most affected will continue to suffer preventable harm’, it warns.

The letter explains that the national inquiry will strive to investigate the racial and socio-economic disparities in exposure to air pollution across the UK, assess the public health consequences for affected communities, review the environmental and planning decisions that have contributed to these inequalities, and find urgent policy interventions and long-term solutions that will protect the groups impacted most.

It reads: ‘As co-signatories of this letter, we stand ready to work collaboratively with Government departments, public health bodies and local authorities to support this vital work, and would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss next steps.

‘This is an opportunity for the United Kingdom to demonstrate real leadership on environmental justice and to deliver cleaner, safer air for every community.’

Jemima Hartshorn, Director of Mums for Lungs said: ‘Air pollution is making our children sick, and it affects the most vulnerable in our society the most: children, minority-ethnic populations and of course the least affluent. It is a real public health and inequity crisis! And it needs to change.

‘Government need to stick to their pre-election promises and deliver a Clean Air Act with action that phases out dirty diesel and non-essential wood burning ASAP.’

Response

A Defra spokesperson said: ‘Air quality continues to improve over the longer term and while most air quality standards are being met, but more action is needed to protect communities.

‘Our ambitious new targets will cut harmful particle exposure by nearly a third by 2030. Working together with local authorities will keep driving progress through clean air plans and robust monitoring.’

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Photo: © Mario La Pergola.