A cross-border partnership aimed at improving air quality across the island of Ireland has been awarded €6.5 million in funding through the PEACEPLUS programme.
The project, known as Clean Air, will combine community engagement, scientific research, and policy support to address air pollution through coordinated actions on both sides of the border.
The funding award represents a major step toward tackling air pollution through the integration of public health, environmental sustainability, and community participation. The project will be delivered through the PEACE-Air partnership, led by the European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology (ERNACT) and will implement the PEACE-Air Action Plan.
PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). With a total value of €1.14 billion, it is jointly financed by the European Union, the UK Government, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
The programme is designed to support peacebuilding, reconciliation, and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The Clean Air project is funded under the ‘Building and Embedding Partnership and Collaboration’ theme, which promotes cross-border cooperation to overcome shared challenges.
The Clean Air project will focus on three key sources of air pollution:
- Solid fuel burning will be addressed through cross-border monitoring, laboratory testing, chemical analysis of particulate matter (PM), and community-based surveys to better understand and regulate emissions.
- Agricultural ammonia emissions will be studied for their impacts on both human health and ecosystems. The project will assess and strengthen the current monitoring networks in a cross-border context.
- Transport emissions in cross-border towns will be monitored using low-cost sensors and advanced chemical techniques, with citizen scientists involved in awareness-raising and local action.
The project also aims to generate high-quality scientific evidence on air pollution sources, raise public awareness about its health impacts, support behavioural change, and enhance policy enforcement. Through collaborative work, it will contribute to cleaner air, healthier communities, and stronger cross-border partnerships.
Project partners include Donegal County Council, Queen’s University Belfast, University College Cork, Technological University Dublin, University of Galway, Ulster University, the Institute of Public Health, Trinity College Dublin, and Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council.
Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers TD said: ‘I am delighted that the PEACE-Air project has been funded under the €1.14 billion 2021-2027 PEACEPLUS programme. Air pollution is a transboundary issue that impacts all of us. The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that 1,600 premature deaths annually can be attributed to poor air quality in this jurisdiction alone.
‘The cross-border €6.5 million PEACE-Air project will bring new strategic engagement to improve air quality right across the island. Focusing on collaboration and research across both jurisdictions, PEACE-Air will develop an evidence base to inform policy development and lead to better health outcomes.’
Minister of Finance John O’Dowd MLA said: ‘I welcome the launch of the PEACEPLUS funded PEACE-Air project. This initiative is a positive example of cross-border co-operation, and it will work to improve air quality through strategic engagement, research and resultant actions across the island of Ireland. The project will inform the work of policymakers in both jurisdictions in promoting more effective ways to address air pollution to improve health and wellbeing.’
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: ‘PEACE-Air will be the first cross-border collaboration of its kind to tackle common air pollution challenges.
‘It delivers unique scientific capability from across the island of Ireland, ensuring inclusive geographic coverage of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
‘This funding demonstrates PEACEPLUS in action, bringing experts together to work on delivering positive change which will benefit the lives of so many people across our programme area by protecting and enhancing our natural environment.’
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