Local authorities across England can now apply for a share of £6 million of government funding to deliver projects to improve air quality.
The annual Air Quality Grant helps councils develop and implement measures to benefit schools, businesses and communities and reduce the impact of air pollution on people’s health.
Since 2010, more than £53 million has been awarded across more than 500 projects through the scheme.
Environment minister Trudy Harrison said the latest round of funding will give communities tools to “limit their exposure and reduce pollution.”
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox every day
Funding will be prioritised towards projects which: tackle particulate matter; improve public awareness of the impacts of air pollution; and help local authorities to bring down levels of nitrogen oxide (NO2) and other pollutants to below legal limits.
Air quality in the UK has significantly improved in recent decades, with levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – the most harmful pollutant to human health – falling by 10% and NO2 by 45% since 2010.
The government is committed to driving this down further and, through the Environment Act, has set two legally binding targets to reduce the level of PM2.5 in our air by 2040.
Health minister Neil O’Brien highlighted how the health risks of air pollution, particularly for “older people, children, and people with heart or lung conditions.”
Researchers recently found air pollution helping to drive a rise in antibiotic resistance.
While the main driver of antibiotic resistance is still their overuse and misuse – the study suggested that particulate matter PM2.5 may be behind the increase, but understanding of exactly how the small particles (which are less than 2.5 microns in diameter) operate is limited.
