The consultation closed on 27th June and received over 180,000 responses. Considering the volume of responses,, as required by the Act.
In response to the delay RCPCH President, Dr Camilla Kingdon said:
I鈥檓 pleased to hear that the consultation for environmental targets reached such high levels of engagement. This underlines the strong desire for action across the population. It is now vital that the Government brings forward ambitious targets on air quality as soon as possible.
In the UK, air pollution is now the largest environmental risk to public health. The harsh reality is that day in and day out, our children are breathing dangerously high levels of air pollution. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution, which can lead to asthma in childhood, and lifelong health issues. As a paediatrician, I see the broader impact of air pollution on children鈥檚 lives鈥攚hether from missed schooling or in combination with other social determinants of health like poor housing. The environment in which we live is a key determinant of our health, the importance of air quality targets cannot be understated.
In the UK we have solutions within our grasp 鈥 but time is not on our side. Stronger air quality targets are key to safeguard the health of current and future generations. We are calling on the UK Government to deliver clear and ambitious air quality targets as soon as possible. Urgency and intention are needed now. Children have a right to clean air, and we must fight for it to become a reality.
Notes to Editors
- RCPCH responded to the consultation in June 2022, you can read the response here.
- RCPCH President, Dr Camilla Kingdon recently.
- RCPCH and RCOG held a parliamentary roundtable this year so that MPs and Peers could hear directly from healthcare professionals on the specific health impacts of air pollution during pregnancy and childhood - 鈥淭he air we breathe: putting women and children at the heart of the debate on air quality in the UK鈥.