Contact Us Scotland Wales

Clean Air Day 2022

5 min read

People walking

More walking =
less motor traffic +
less pollution

To mark Clean Air Day 2022 on 16 June, we've listed a few easy things you can do to help us make the case for walking in the fight against air pollution.

Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental and health challenges in our time. Against this backdrop, the need to rethink how our streets work has never been more urgent. 

At Living Streets we see promoting walking as a vital tool in reducing the motor traffic that generates so many emissions.

And remember that all evidence suggests that we are no less exposed to the effects of pollution in a car than we are while outside.

At the same time though we know that poor air quality is something that prevents plenty of people from walking.

So that’s why tackling pollution is central to so much of our work – from supporting anti-idling projects and calling for car-free school gates, to calling on local authorities to take the strongest action possible.

We know we can do more, and here are some ways you can help.

1. Call for clean air

"If we want to reduce air pollution, we must design our towns and cities around people, not motor vehicles."

What's happening, country-by-country

Scotland

Breathe Scotland is a cleaner air initiative run by Environmental Protection Scotland aimed at raising awareness of air pollution and its impacts on public health and our environment.

Breathe Scotland

England

As the UK government is consults on new air pollution targets in England, our friends at the Healthy Air Campaign have put together a simple online form so you can call for bolder, swifter action on air pollution. Deadline is 28 June.

Have your say!

Wales

Living Streets Cymru is part of the Healthy Air Cymru coalition calling for a Clean Air Act sooner rather than later. To celebrate Clean Air Day we caught up with MSs at the Senedd and received crossed party support for action.

Share our tweet

2. Become a member

Join us


Everything Living Streets has achieved in over 90 years has been thanks to its members.

By becoming one today you can help Living Streets make the case for investing in and prioritising walking and cycling.

Support our work

3. Read our blog

walking for all


"We should be informed by those who currently walk but also include people who don’t, to explore the reasons behind this and inform decision making in a much more diverse and holistic manner."

If walking has a part to play in cleaning our air, it must be for everybody. Our Vice President, Susan Claris blogs for us on a new report.

Blog: Walking for Everyone

4. Use our toolkits

Car-free school streets

toolkit

 

Want to make a street outside a local school car-free,  reduce congestion, cut pollution and increase walking? Our online form and download our toolkit has all you need.

School Streets Schemes

Idling drivers

toolkit

 

Idling is often a problem outside schools, hospitals and near bus stops, so why not work together with your neighbours to improve air quality for everyone who lives, works or studies nearby? Give our toolkit a try.

Tackle air pollution

5. Watch our animation

Walking up emissions down

>70%

Over 70% of air pollution is produced by road traffic.

By prioritising cleaner air and investing in walking and cycling, our decision makers can help turn this around.

40,000

Premature deaths each year in the UK are attributable to air pollution. 

In March, the European Heart Journal found toxic air is killing more people than tobacco smoking.

More about walking and air pollution

Useful links

Clean Air Day logo


Visit the Clean Air Day website for free resources and more about what's happening on the day.

Clean Air Day

Air pollution down

 

Walking is great for your health, but air pollution is putting the public at risk. 

Air pollution

#CleanAirDay 2022 on social media