Clean Air Day to focus on air pollution risks to children

Global Action Plan, the charity which co-ordinates Clean Air Day, has launched new resources for the Day on 17 June 2021.  

This year’s theme ‘protect our children’s health from air pollution’ highlights the urgency to safeguard our children’s short- and long-term health from the impacts of air pollution and build a clean air future as we recover from the pandemic.   

The 2021 resources enable all audiences across the UK from individuals, schools, businesses, health organisations, community groups and local authorities to demonstrate support for action on air pollution and have their say about building a healthy future for our children.

Schools are being asked to host assemblies to raise awareness on air pollution, to encourage parents, carers and teachers to leave the car at home and to tell their local council what they want to see happening to tackle air pollution by writing or tweeting them to protect children’s health.

Local authorities are being asked to communicate the health risks of air pollution and how to tackle it to schools, residents, businesses and health groups with the need for action and say what they are doing to protect children’s health from air pollution.  

This year’s theme ‘protect our children’s health from air pollution’ was selected to highlight the urgency to safeguard our children’s health from the impacts of air pollution as we recover from the pandemic and look to build a clean air future. Air pollution impacts us all from our first breath to our last, but children are at higher risk to both the short-and longer-term impacts of air pollution. Poor air quality impacts their health, lung development, and even their ability to learn and for the first time, there is evidence that air pollution caused the death of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah following the recent landmark ruling.

2020 also further saw children bear the burden of COVID-19, impacting their freedom, education and mental wellbeing. As children return to their lives the charity says cleaner air is imperative for them to walk and cycle to school safely and learn and play in healthy spaces.

Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air at Global Action Plan, says: “Our children have not been exempt from the turmoil and disruption caused by the global pandemic. As we return to our lives, we must take this chance to create a healthier environment for our children to go back to - where they can learn and play safely. By protecting our children from the damage caused by air pollution, we are protecting their future. This Clean Air Day we must all come together - individuals, schools, businesses, local authorities across the UK to collectively take action and seize this moment to support change, for good. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity for change. We must use it.”