Uber, Philips join Defra in new air quality taskforce

Eight major businesses have joined the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and charity Global Action Plan to form a new taskforce to tackle air pollution.

The Business Clean Air Taskforce (BCAT) includes Philips, Uber, Engie, Octopus Electric Vehicles, Blueair, Ricardo, Canary Wharf Group and BP Chargemaster and has four main aims which focus on speeding up the adoption of measures which are already in place.

Its four aims are below:

1. Set standards for business action on air pollution.
2. Produce roadmaps and guidance to help business know what they should be doing to transition us to a low pollution economy.
3. Foster collaborative action between businesses that aims to shift us to a cleaner air society.
4. Communicate a positive vision for business involvement in cleaning up our air to government, industry and the public.

The taskforce is also backed by the UK’s Clean Air Champion Professor Stephen Holgate and is calling for more like-minded businesses to join the initiative.

Businesses are invited to join the taskforce by emailing Charlotte West at Global Action Plan.

Global Action Plan recently commissioned Opinium polling which found that 52% of people think action on air quality is now a major priority for the UK, up from 33% six months ago.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow says: ‘We know the impact that air pollution has on communities across the UK, which is why, as we set out in the Clean Air Strategy, the government and all parts of society need to come together to tackle this problem.

‘The Business Clean Air Taskforce sets an excellent example of businesses, campaigners, and government working collaboratively to deliver clean air for the future, and I hope that more like-minded businesses will be encouraged to sign up to do their bit to continue to improve air quality across the UK.’

Chris Large, senior partner at Global Action Plan added: ‘Businesses already provide many of the solutions to our air pollution problem. We just need to choose to use them.

‘This taskforce will help more people to do the things that will cut air pollution: drive less, switch to electric vehicles and reduce activity that makes pollution inside our homes.’

Photo Credit – Pixabay