Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement logo Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement
Sign in

Sign in to Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement or Complete a task any time of day with your dedicated, personalised account Create account

Schools climate action guide and template

Air quality

Air quality determines how much pollution is in the air. Pollution has a huge impact on our health. London Air’s research found that toxic air leads to the premature deaths of 9,400 Londoners each year. Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of low air quality as well as those with existing heart and respiratory conditions. For children, poor air quality can lead to an increase of respiratory and heart conditions. It can also affect brain and lung development.

Air quality can be improved by making actions that relate to climate change. This includes:

  • reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are burned for heating
  • moving to renewable energy sources like solar and wind
  • swapping car journeys for active and sustainable methods like cycling
  • planting more trees and increasing biodiversity