Clean Air programme news
Updates on the UK Clean Air Programme that ran from 2019 to 2025
Air Quality Data Portal - September 2024
The Met Office Air Quality Data Portal was launched on 24 September 2024. It provides free access to nearly two decades of air quality data. Users can gain greater insight into air pollution levels across the UK between January 2003 and December 2019. They can also develop their understanding of key pollutants, and how air pollution is forecast and measured. Read our news blog to find out more. Watch our video explainer about the portal:
Global Action Plan partnership - February 2024
We partnered with Global Action Plan to develop a suite of resources for schools about air quality. You can explore the resources on our website.
Clean Air Day - 15 June 2023
Clean Air Day 2023 took place on 15 June, run by Global Action Plan. The annual event is the UK's largest air pollution campaign. More information about Clean Air Day is available on Global Action Plan's webite.
Clean Air Planner - 24 March 2023
As part of the Clean Air Programme, Global Action Plan (GAP) with support from the Met Office are producing a suite of science-based resources to help children, young people and adults understand and act on air pollution.
GAP have created a webtool to give adults a personalised clean air planner. You can make your own clean air plan via this link.
Clean Air Day - 16 June 2022
The Met Office supported Clean Air Day 2022, which was run by Global Action Plan. More here.
UK Community Emission Modelling System (UK-EMS) launch - 16 June 2022
The Met Office are supporting the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) in their delivery of the UK-Emission Modelling System (UK-EMS). This project was launched on Clean Air Day 2022. The UK-EMS will provide a framework for emission modelling to enable researchers to better estimate existing pollutant levels and evaluate future scenarios from UK national to street level. More information can be found on the associated DUKEMS (Developing a UK Community Emissions Modelling System) project page.
The project is one of several that were commissioned by the Met Office under the Wave one funding from the SPF Clean Air Programme. More information can be found here.
Exploring how air pollution in indoor spaces affects human health - 27 July 2021
The UKRI announced three new research projects that will investigate how air pollutants in indoor spaces can adversely affect the health of the people inhabiting them. The indoor spaces being investigated include homes, schools and workplaces.
Clean Air Day 17 June 2021
Clean Air Day is focused on improving public understanding of air pollution and building awareness of how air pollution impacts our health. As part of Clean Air Day 2021, the six UKRI SPF-Clean Air funded air quality networks hosted an event about how the academic community can engage and involve wider public in clean air research.
UKRI and Met Office appoint Dr Gary Fuller as Clean Air Champion - January 2021
Dr Gary Fuller (Imperial College London) joined the existing champions, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate and Dr Jenny Baverstock. They brought together outstanding researchers across atmospheric, medical and social sciences to develop practical solutions for air quality issues. Find out more about the appointment on the UKRI website.
Joining forces to improve air quality and health - November 2020
As part of a series of planned on-line workshops and meetings, the SPF Clean Air team together with the Clean Air Champions (Prof Sir Stephen Holgate and Dr Jenny Baverstock) held a two-day on-line workshop entitled ‘Joining Forces to Improve Air Quality and Health’.
The workshop featured short presentations representing the views from academia, local and national policy, primary health care, charities and industry. Over 80 delegates attended and were engaged in a series of breakout sessions to discuss potential barriers that prevent a more joined up and holistic approach to work in this area. They also examined ways in which the community could enable improved cohesion in addressing the problems. The meeting provided an opportunity for a wide range of experts who work in various air quality and health related sectors to collectively discuss underlying issues perhaps for the first time.
UKRI Clean Air research networks announced - July 2020
UKRI awarded £3million to support six multidisciplinary research networks that will address future air quality challenges at the indoor-outdoor interface. More details can be found in their press release.
Clean Air website - July 2020
The Clean Air programme launched a programme website, containing project information, blog posts and more. You can visit the Clean Air website.
Second wave funding announced - September 2019
The UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced a second wave of funding for the SPF Clean Air programme. Read their press release here.