BHF comment
Reaching WHO guideline limits for air pollution could add £1.6bn to UK economy
If the UK met World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limits for air pollution it could boost the economy by £1.6 billion annually, according to new analysis.
The CBI Economics report – ‘Breathing Life into the Economy’ – which was commissioned by the Clean Air Fund, showed that three million working days are lost each year either related to workers becoming sick due to the health impacts attributable to air pollution, or by taking time off to care for their sick children. The report also states that adopting WHO guidelines could prevent 17,000 premature deaths every year.
Our research has shown that dangerous particles, called PM2.5, can enter the bloodstream and cause damage to the heart and circulatory system, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Currently, the UK subscribes to EU air pollution limits. If we’re to help combat the damage that air pollution does to the nation’s heart health, then we urgently need to adopt the WHO’s guidelines, which are twice as stringent than those followed by the EU and are based on a large body of health evidence.
Jacob West, our Director of Healthcare Innovation, said: “This report shows that adopting ambitious WHO air pollution guidelines could not only add years on our life, but also benefit the country's finances, too. These encouraging figures should give the Government confidence to embrace tougher air pollution limits in the Environment Bill. Such bold measures promise to give the economy a significant boost.
“These benefits would be in addition to the significant positive health impact we would see from reducing air pollution. Toxic air currently has a profound impact on our nation’s heart health, with around 11,000 heart and circulatory deaths every year in the UK attributable to air pollution. The Government must now take this bold step and drive forward much needed action to transform the air we breathe.”
According to the report, the annual £1.6 billion boost to the UK economy would be on top of savings to NHS and social care budgets from treating fewer patients with health conditions associated with air pollution.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “I am doing everything in my power to stop Londoners breathing air so filthy that it damages children’s lungs and causes thousands of premature deaths. The Ultra Low Emission Zone has already cut toxic air by a third. We want to go further and will be expanding the ULEZ up to the North and South circular roads in 2021.
“We know there is still more to do. Pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why I have consistently demanded that the government match my ambition and improve the Environment Bill to include legally binding World Health Organization recommended limits, to be achieved by 2030, and to give cities the powers they need to eradicate air pollution.
“The CBI’s new report shows that cleaner air could boost the economy by £1.6 billion - we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our cities and economies to be greener, fairer, and more sustainable.”