The 2024 Northern Air Quality Conference

We are delighted to announce the 2024 Northern Air Quality Conference will be heading to the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on March 19th. This will be our 4th edition of the event, and as ever, we will be bringing together some of the most important policymakers & leading academics who are working on solutions to the challenges created by air pollution and clean air provision. Our exhibition will also profile organisations who are offering solutions to the challenges we face in delivering improved air quality.

Early Bird tickets for this key event are limited – please use the form below to make the most of the best-value ticekts.

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SPEAKERS CONFIRMED

Amber Titchener, Southampton City Council and Pablo Garcia, EarthSense

Join Southampton City Council and EarthSense as they present their award-winning project to reduce woodburning emissions across the district. The project involved the installation of 18 EarthSense Zephyr® air quality monitors, that are monitoring particulate matter emissions from domestic woodburning as part of an innovative DEFRA-funded campaign. By using EarthSense’s air quality services, the project aimed to inform residents about the impact of woodburning on their health and the community. The project won the Best Air Quality Strategy (Public Sector) award at the Westminster Commissions for Road Air Quality Awards. Join the presentation to learn about actionable solutions for woodburning and how monitoring air quality can help identify and target woodburning emissions

Andrew Whittles, Bradford Council.

Andrew Whittles is the Director of Air Quality Programmes at Bradford Council. His role includes developing and implementing a Clean Air Plan, CAZ and wider projects including HyBradford, Climate Change and Sustainability Programmes

In 2004, Andrew designed the first Low Emission Zone in the UK, on the Greenwich Peninsula in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. He also designed the Low Emission controls for the London 2012 Olympic Park, as well as developing strategies for Bradford, Slough, West Midlands. West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, Southampton and Northampton local authorities.

During five years at Cenex, the UK’s first Centre for Excellence in Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies, Andrew developed the DEFRA-funded Low Emission Strategies Programme and he also spent three years working with Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room in Washington.

Roy M Harrison OBE, FRS

Roy Harrison is Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham. His research interests are in air pollution, especially airborne particulate matter. Recent research has focussed on Beijing, Delhi and the UK. He has also been heavily engaged at the science/policy interface as a past member of Defra’s Science Advisory Council, and a current member of their Air Quality Expert Group and the DHSC Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. He was a contributor to the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (2005) and the Guidelines for Quality of Indoor Air (2010). He was awarded an OBE in and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2017.

Dr. Rhys Archer and Alice Handy – SAMHE Project

Alice Hardy is a Research Associate at Imperial College London. She is working on the SAMHE project which is conducting large-scale air quality monitoring in UK schools to better understand schools’ indoor air quality. The project encourages engagement from pupils with their school environment as citizen scientists. Alice is analysing the data collected from the network of monitors and helping to coordinate the SAMHE Champions Initiative which engages key stakeholders who work with schools to promote and champion the SAMHE project. Alice conducted her MEng and PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her PhD research focussed on the dispersion of pollutants indoors and use of air cleaners to improve indoor air quality.   

Joining Alice will be Dr Rhys Archer. In addition to the SAMHE project, Rhys  works on the Youth LIVES project – which co-produces mental health research with young people – and leads a campaign called Women of Science, which she founded in 2016.

Rhys holds a BSc in Textile Science and Technology and completed a PhD in Materials Engineering at the University of Manchester. She also has expertise in leading outreach and public engagement, and as a result was awarded the Robert Perrin Medal in 2020 for outreach activity in Materials Science and Technology targeted at 11-19 students from the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining.

Dr. Karen Barrass, Climate Insights

Karen’s extensive experience lies in research and advocacy – developing insight and policy tools and leading campaigns to affect positive change. She founded Climate Insights in 2023 to provide bespoke in-depth research and policy analysis on today’s urgent environmental challenges. She previously led policy and research activities at UK100, where amongst other activities she developed the Clean Air Net Zero programme of work. Prior to this, she spent four years advising European parliamentarians on climate, air quality and transport and working with communities across the South East. She has a long track record as an independent consultant, working with various international public and private organisations on transport and sustainability, including Urban Foresight, Global Action Plan and UN Habitat. Karen’s doctorate from Oxford University explored the policy implementation processes necessary to decarbonise transport. Karen began her career at The Climate Group where she worked to establish the States and Regions Alliance – now the Under2 Coalition.

Sarah Rowe, Clean Cities

Sarah Rowe is the Greater Manchester campaigner for Clean Cities. She has over 10 years experience in engaging people in issues of social justice and is now working alongside local partners in Greater Manchester to campaign for positive solutions to toxic air. She dreams of a world where getting around by bike, with a toddler, does not feel like a daunting experience. The Clean Cities Campaign is a European network delivering campaigns and research to urge cities to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, and prioritise active, shared and electric mobility.

Panel discussion

We will be hosting a panel discussion from the leading experts in the field, where they will be taking questions on pressing matters from the audience.

Agenda

09:40 – 09:55 – Opening remarks from Paul Day, Editor of AQN, and our host, Beverley Nielsen 

09:55 – 10:35 – Andrew Whittles, Director of Air Quality Programmes, Bradford Council

10:35 – 11:15 – Alice Handy and Dr. Rhys Archer, SAHME project

11:15 – 1150 – Morning refreshments break

11:50 – 12:35 – Panel discussion

12:35 – 13:30 – Lunch

13:35 – 14:15 – Amber Titchener, Southampton City Council and Pablo Garcia, EarthSense 

14:15 – 14:55 – Roy M Harrison OBE, Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health, University of Birmingham

14:55 to 15:25 – Afternoon Refreshments

15:25 – 16:10  – Sarah Rowe, Greater Manchester campaigner, Clean Cities

16:10 – 16:50 – Karen Barrass, founder of Climate Insights