Exclusive: Date for next year’s Clean Air Day announced

The date for next year’s Clean Air Day (CAD) has now been announced by co-ordinator Global Action Plan, following the success of this year’s event.

It has been confirmed next year’s CAD will take place on June 15 2023, but the theme is yet to be revealed.

Charity Global Action Plan has also released a Clean Air Day 2022 Celebration Report to highlight key findings from the 2022 event.

Results show there were over 300 events, 985 media mentions of CAD in broadcast news and print, #CleanAirDay trended at #1 on Twitter and more than 300 organisations now consider themselves supporters. Additionally, nearly half (48%) of Brits have now heard of CAD.

The Celebration and Insights report also reveals how businesses, schools, community groups, charities, NHS organisations, universities and champions celebrated Clean Air Day.

Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air said: ‘We are hugely appreciative to everyone who took part in Clean Air Day 2022 across the UK. Together, we have helped to improve public understanding about air pollution, something that is essential if we want to see clean air policy measures, such as Ella’s Law and Clean Air Zones come through. I look forward to doing it all over again with you next year.’

Ella’s Law, named after nine-year old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah who tragically died due to air pollution, is currently making its way through parliament and could soon enshrine the human right to clean air.

As studies have shown dirty air can have profound health effects, this year’s theme focused on whole-body health harms which air pollution causes or exacerbates in everyone, not just vulnerable people.  

In line with this, the three main priorities this CAD were:

• To talk to someone about the health harms of air pollution
• To walk those short distance trips and leave the car at home where you can
• To ask local and national decision makers to make it easier to walk more

In accordance with this Talk-Walk-Ask format, the report found:

• People who knew about the campaign increased their conversations about air pollution by 24%, compared to just 6% of people who didn’t know about CAD.
• Supporters of CAD increased the short journeys they chose to walk by 37%, compared to 27% of people who didn’t know about the event.
• 62 MPs mentioned Clean Air Day on Twitter.

Sadiq Kahn, Mayor of London said: ‘Clean Air Day plays an essential role in raising awareness around the impacts of air pollution on our health. On behalf of all Londoners, thank you for your commitment to raising awareness around the impacts of air pollution and for organising another successful Clean Air Day.’

Photo provided by Global Action Plan