Embargoed until 00.01 Wednesday 22 May 2019
PA R E N T S F E E L I N G T R A P P E D IN POLLUTION-CHOKED CITIES Major firms team up with environmental charity to clean up the air for families and workers
Fifty nine per cent of parents say they would move house to escape air pollution if they could afford it, according to new research1 released today by environmental charity Hubbub and Investec plc. More than one in ten parents of under 18s (12%) have already fled to cleaner areas due to concerns over their children’s health and a fifth are actively considering it. Almost a third (31%) said that air pollution has been or will be a factor in deciding which school their child attends. These new findings have been released today to mark the launch of the #AirWeShare, a campaign created by Hubbub and supported by leading companies including Investec plc, Bunzl, First Mile, Grosvenor, Kingfisher and Innogy EMobility UK. The campaign will provide 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 will also build 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. Overall 83% of those surveyed are worried about the effect of air pollution on themselves and their family. This rises to 89% for parents with primary school-aged children and 92% for those with under-fives. 37% believe air pollution in their nearest town or city is getting worse. When it comes to the impact of air pollution on health, most people are aware of the link with respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer, however awareness of emerging links with conditions such as strokes, obesity and diabetes is low (at 11%, 2% and 2% respectively). To find out more about how individuals are exposed to air pollution, Hubbub carried out air quality monitoring with 10 people in London, in partnership with King’s College London. Participants with different hobbies, occupations and travel routines carried portable air pollution monitors for a week. The monitors detected levels of black carbon, which in an urban environment is most likely to be from vehicle exhausts. Black carbon is strongly correlated with PM 2.5, known to be most damaging to human health. Results showed that everyone experiences pollution differently – and that everyone can probably do something in their day to reduce their exposure.