Clean Air Day has been postponed until October 8 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual event was due to take place on June 18, but Global Action Plan (GAP), the charity who coordinates the day says the new day will give event organisers enough time to team up with schools, workplaces and local communities once everyone is back up and running.
In a statement, the charity added that whilst many activities can be undertaken digitally, their number one priority is the health and wellbeing of the UK public so postponing is the safest option.
The new date will also be closer to Car Free Day on September 23 and will coincide with Walk to School Month in October.
The charity believes this time of year also will allow them to extend the campaign to new areas such as domestic burning and indoor air quality as well as continuing to build on their core campaign themes around leaving the car at home.
They add that messages will be shaped by the outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic and will look to build sensitively and constructively on how we have learned to work and live differently.
614 Clean Air Day events took place across the UK on June 20, 2019, with 400,000 people taking part in events from walking buses and flagship announcements to electric vehicle roadshows and street parties.
The day, the UK’s largest air pollution campaign, is supported by over 200 organisations including Public Health England, the British Heart Foundation, Defra, the Scottish government, UNICEF and various NHS trusts and local authorities.
When the day began in 2017, fewer than half of the UK public (41%) said they felt knowledgeable about the health impacts of air pollution. But a recent survey undertaken by GAP has revealed that following the Clean Air Day campaign, 77% of people can name a health condition associated with air pollution, such as asthma.
Photo Credit – Global Action Plan