Strictly embargoed until 00:01 Tuesday 14th January 2020
P O L L U T I O N PAV I L I O N R E V E A L I N G INVISIBLE AIR POLLUTION ARRIVES IN COVENT GARDEN • Four out of five Britons are worried that UK air pollution limits don’t match WHO guidelines.
• Nearly every area of the capital breaches WHO guidelines for PM2.5 pollution particles1.
• The #AirWeShare, backed by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, urges public to contact their MP to support WHO guidelines for PM2.5.
A stunning, interactive ‘Pollution Pavilion’ has landed in Covent Garden’s iconic Piazza to spark a national conversation about air pollution. It’s the work of environmental charity Hubbub and Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, which are urging people to help make this pressing issue a political priority wherever they live. Research2 released today by Hubbub finds 80% of Britons are worried that the UK limits for air pollution don’t match WHO guidelines. The survey also found that 83% of people are worried about how air pollution could affect them or their families – this rises to 89% for parents with primary school-aged children and 92% for those with under-fives. The unique installation, designed in collaboration with artists Climate and Cities and King’s College London, displays huge balloons that change colour3 reflecting annual Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) data drawn from 5 London Air Quality Network stations4 across London to help visitors visualise air pollution levels. Nitrogen Dioxide comes mainly from road transport and has been linked to asthma prevalence, adverse birth outcomes, cancer and reduced life expectancy. Across the UK, almost 2,000 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have levels of air pollution that exceed the WHO’s guidelines. On 18 March 2019 London had already breached European and UK PM10 limit for the entire year and nearly every area of the capital breaches WHO guidelines for PM2.5 pollution. The #AirWeShare campaign, supported by property business Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, is today urging people to ask their MP to support a legally binding commitment to meet World Health Organization recommended PM 2.5 limits by 2030. Trewin Restorick, CEO and Co-founder of Hubbub said: “As air pollution is invisible it’s really easy to ignore this issue, but there is a very real threat to our health. There’s lots we can all do to improve the Air We Share and have a positive impact, but what we really need is legislation and initiatives that deliver clean air for everyone. We are today urging everyone to write to their local MP to get this important issue higher up on the Government’s agenda.”
Tor Burrows, Head of Sustainability and Innovation, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland said: “Poor air quality in our cities is a reality for too many people. As a business we have committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2030 and are playing our part by reducing traffic, increasing greening and helping all our tenants to operate more sustainably. But this is not enough, we need our elected officials to push harder and faster towards a net zero carbon economy. Please lend your voice to demand the air quality we all deserve by contacting your MP.” Professor Frank Kelly, Head, Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, King’s College London said: “Air pollution is a grave risk to human health. The more we have investigated the issue the more problems have been uncovered from effects on the unborn child to a contribution to neurodegenerative disease in adults. Installations like this play an important role in raising interest and understanding about the air pollution challenge and I applaud Hubbub and Grosvenor in working with King’s College London to bring this issue to the public’s attention.” Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London said: “It’s great to see campaigners, businesses and academics collaborating on creative ways to help the public understand the dangers of air pollution, and encourage them to take action. Air pollution is an invisible killer and I’m taking some of the boldest action of any city in the world to ensure Londoners can breathe clean air. This includes introducing the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone, which has helped slash roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by around a third in the central London zone. We need Government to follow London’s lead and MPs to use their voice in Parliament to help clean our filthy air across the country. A key part of this is toughening up targets in the upcoming Environment Bill to meet World Health Organization air quality guidelines by 2030.”
#AirWeShare campaign urges people to take the following actions to lower their exposure to air pollution and to help reduce pollution:
• Switch car journeys for ones where you can walk, cycle or take public transport instead • Re-route your journey. Choosing quieter routes rather than main roads has been found to reduce your exposure to air pollution by up to 50%
• Do you order online? You can reduce your online footprint by opting for click-and-collect or collect in store (or by choosing not to buy it at all!)
• Use your voice and your power to make positive change. MP’s act on our behalf. So, share your views with them and invite them to help to improve your local air
The #AirWeShare campaign launched in May 2019 and was created by Hubbub and supported by leading companies including Investec plc, Bunzl, First Mile, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Kingfisher and Innogy EMobility UK. The campaign provides practical advice about how people can protect themselves and their families, what they can do to reduce their own emissions, and how they can add their voice to the wider call for cleaner air. The #AirWeShare is also building a coalition of leading companies who want to test new ways of reducing air pollution; creating greener, safer and healthier cities that are better for employees and communities The Pollution Pavilion will remain in Covent Garden’s Piazza until 26 January 2020 and will move to Grosvenor Square in the Spring.
ENDS For more information please contact the Hubbub team at Barley Communications: Phoebe.Campbell@barleycommunications.co.uk 07725 178044 Jessica.shepherd@barleycommunications.co.uk 07957147308
NOTES TO EDITORS 1. London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory 2016, Greater London Authority. 2. Research conducted by Hubbub and Censuswide who surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,000 UK adults in April 2019 3. The colours range from light blue to dark pink. If the balloons are blue the site is within the annual legal limit for NO2, if the site is pink, it is breaching the annual legal limit for NO2 (the WHO annual limit for NO2 is 40 micrograms). 4. Locations include: Barnes Wetlands (least polluted), Bloomsbury, Covent Garden, Bowes Primary School Enfield and Aldwych (most polluted).
ABOUT HUBBUB Hubbub is a charity which explores innovative ways to interest mainstream consumers in important sustainability issues, through different ‘hubs’ of activity: Food; Fashion; Homes; Neighbourhoods. Hubbub’s previous campaigns have included #SquareMileChallenge, the UK’s first large scale solution to coffee cup recycling, #GiftABundle to get pre-loved baby clothes back into circulation and #PumpkinRescue to encourage more people to eat the carvings from their Halloween Pumpkins. www.hubbub.org.uk Twitter: @hubbubuk
A B O U T G R O S V E N O R B R I TA I N & I R E L A N D Grosvenor Britain & Ireland creates and manages high quality neighbourhoods that are great places to live, work and visit. Our diverse property development, management and investment portfolio includes Grosvenor’s London estate of Mayfair and Belgravia and other developments in London, Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. As a responsible investor, developer, landlord, asset manager and public sector partner we create, manage and adapt places by putting commercial, social and environmental outcomes on an equal footing. Bold environmental goals are a key pillar of our strategy, we will
• Be net zero carbon by 2030 • Eradicate waste from buildings and developments in our control by 2030; and • By 2030 our standing portfolio and largest development sites will have achieved a significant net biodiversity gain
• Bring our partners with us through collaboration, innovation and supportive networks
We are part of the Grosvenor Group, one of the world’s largest privately-owned property companies, which develops, manages and invests in property in more than 60 cities around the world. Follow us on: Twitter: @Grosvenor_GBI / Linkedin: Grosvenor Group / www.grosvenor.com
A B O U T C L I M AT E A N D C I T I E S Climate and Cities, a newly launched creative collective, investigates the interactions of climate and cities through creative research and projects. https://climateandcities.com/ With special thanks to Capital & Counties Properties PLC for providing the space.
ABOUT CAPCO COVENT GARDEN Covent Garden is a leading retail and dining destination and is one of the most vibrant estates in the heart of central London. The area is now home to a wide variety of British, global and independent brands including Chanel, Tom Ford, Balthazar and SUSHISAMBA, with upcoming openings from Dominique Ansel Bakery and Polo Ralph Lauren. Capital & Counties Properties PLC (‘Capco’) is responsible for the management of over 1.2 million sq. ft. of space at Covent Garden valued at £2.6 billion (as at 30 June 2019). Under Capco’s stewardship, Covent Garden has been transformed into a world-class destination, welcoming over 40 million customer visits a year and 150 new brands since 2006. www.coventgarden.london About Capital & Counties Properties PLC (Capco) Capital & Counties Properties PLC is one of the largest listed property investment companies in central London and is a constituent of the FTSE-250 Index. Capco’s landmark estate at Covent Garden was valued at £2.6 billion (as at 30 June 2019) where its ownership comprises over 1.2 million square feet of lettable space. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.