What is the Clean Air Parents’ Network?
Air pollution in the UK is a national health crisis, and it is affecting our children’s health. We are a network for parents and carers that will:
- Promote understanding of the key issues around air pollution
- Provide an insight into how to engage with and influence decision making at a national and local level
- Inspire action through sharing stories, experiences, information, ideas and activities
- Offer resources and support to help you to get involved in whatever way you can
- Make you part of a national network contributing to building pressure for action at a national and local level to tackle illegal and harmful levels of air pollution
We will be focusing some of our activities in the following areas: Greater Manchester, London, Merseyside and the West Midlands – so do let us know if you live there. But ultimately we want to hear from anybody across the UK who wants to take action.
Children across the UK are exposed to dirty air every day, with hundreds of schools across the country located near roads with illegal and harmful levels of air pollution.
Children’s lungs are still growing and dirty air can stunt their lung development.
This damage may never be reversed and could put them at higher risk of developing further health problems in later life.
What we’re calling for
Clean Air Zones
The government needs to create a network of Clean Air Zones across the UK. These zones should prevent the most polluting vehicles from entering the most polluted parts of our towns and cities.
The government also needs to help people move on to cleaner forms of transport – making it easier for all of us to make the healthiest choices for our families and communities. From cleaner vehicles to public transport, walking and cycling.
Clean Air Act 2.0
In the long-term, a new Clean Air Act is needed to tackle our modern pollution problem and safeguard our right to breathe clean air. We can make the UK a world leader in clean air, developing the solutions that we and other countries need to protect our health.
Air pollution is a huge national problem but it can be solved. We need politicians to be willing to take action to make our towns and cities cleaner and healthier places for all of us.
Change like this starts with people like you.
Our children can’t wait another decade for the air to be safe to breathe
Legal limits of air pollution should have been met in 2010 but the UK government does not think this will happen until at least 2028. Action needs to happen now or the damage will already be done.