Air pollution levels still too high across Europe – remains top environmental health risk

Air pollution in Europe remains well above recommended World Health Organization (WHO) levels, posing a significant threat to our health. According to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality health assessment, 253,000 deaths could have been avoided in the…

UK policy and early movers can play a significant role in unleashing finance to decarbonise the UK freight transport sector

Efforts should be directed towards whole freight system analysis capability, co-created roadmaps and ports as decarbonisation hubs to help the freight transport sector’s transition. The end-of-project report released today by the Decarbonising UK Freight Transport (DUKFT) Network suggests several ways to overcome…

Windshield washer fluid is an unexpected emission source

In a recent ACS Environmental Science & Technology study, researchers report that alcohols in windshield washer fluid account for a more significant fraction of real-world vehicle emissions than previous estimates have suggested. Notably, the levels of these non-fuel-derived gases will likely remain…

WCRAQ education working party – mitigating air pollution in schools

The WCRAQ Education Working Party on 14 March 2023 saw speakers discuss measures to reduce air pollution in schools. Professor Prashant Kumar, GCARE/University of Surrey, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, Ella Roberta Foundation, and Hannah Battram, Global Action Plan, highlighted simple and cost-effective…

Comment from our Chairman: Sign up your schools for the air quality scheme

Although Ella’s Law has not been passed, we are still working to protect children’s health through the Education Working Party. I encourage everyone to get involved with independent projects such as SAMHE, which aims to provide all schools with a…

Breaking Ground or Breaking Climate Goals? EU Construction Law Vote Raises Concerns

On 23 May 2023, the EU Parliament Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) is voting on the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR). After months of resistance from the rapporteur Christian Doleschal against improving one of EU’s heavy-emitting industries,…

Join us for the WCRAQ: Education Working Party on 14 March 2023

This quarter’s theme is Eliminating Air Pollution in Schools. Time: 13:00 – 15:30 on Teams The constant threat of air pollution is compromising children’s health. There are actions and solutions available today to help mitigate the effect of harmful emissions.…

Energy intensity could be a make-or-break factor in sustainability transitions

Successful decarbonisation needs more than the right energy mix. A new study by the Locomotion project suggests it also requires a sound policy mix combining energy efficiency, electrification and demand management accounting for sectoral interdependencies. Published in the Journal of…