Atmosphere: Towards a proper strategy for tackling Greater Manchester’s air pollution crisis
Article
The levels of air pollution in Greater Manchester are lethal and illegal.
In groundbreaking new analysis, King’s College London (KCL) has estimated that 1.6 million life years will be lost in Greater Manchester in the coming century due to its poisonous air. This is equivalent to each of us having our life expectancy reduced by six months. Using the 2011 baseline, NO2 pollution alone was estimated to have caused up to 1,781 premature deaths in Greater Manchester and particulate matter pollution up to 1,906 premature deaths.
Devolution allows the Greater Manchester mayor to take responsibility for this clean air agenda and do more, much more quickly, but national government must act urgently too to give the mayor the tools necessary to save lives and the £1 billion annual cost to the Greater Manchester economy.
Related items
Navigating in the fog: Why the OBR should hold its nerve on the productivity forecast
The fiscal watchdog is under pressure to downgrade its forecast, costing the chancellor billions – but this would be premature.Everyday concerns: What people want from transport
Transport has a key role to play in achieving the UK government's missions and improving lives.Reforming gambling taxation: How to lift half a million children out of poverty
A key priority for the government’s upcoming child poverty strategy should be to remove the two-child limit and scrap the household benefit cap.