The case for a new Clean Air Act: five reasons the King’s Speech must deliver

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Clean Air Act: a landmark law passed in direct response to the Great Smog of 1952, which killed and hospitalised thousands of people in London across UK cities over the course of only a few days. At the time, the Government acted because the evidence was undeniable and the cost of inaction was needlessly costing lives – while today’s air pollution picture is different, the same remains true seven decades on. As we approach the King’s Speech on 13 May, the Healthy Air Coalition has outlined five reasons why a new Clean Air Bill must feature in it.

1. Air pollution is still killing people

There has been progress since the 1950s to clean up the air we breathe, but air pollution still contributes to tens of thousands of premature deaths in the UK every year. The current government has identified clean air as a priority for preventing ill health in its 10 Year Health Plan, but has yet to endorse moving towards alignment with the World Health Organization’s guidelines. Fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide in particular continue to exceed safe levels across towns and cities. A new Clean Air Act would set enforceable limits aligned with the World Health Organization’s recommendations and the latest scientific evidence available – reducing avoidable illness and taking pressure off an NHS already under strain.

2. The current legal framework is fragmented and outdated

The original 1956 Clean Air Act was groundbreaking for its time, but today’s regulations are a patchwork of measures split across several pieces of legislation and jurisdictions. This fragmentation weakens accountability and slows progress on tackling toxic air. While the vast majority of Britons no longer rely on coal in the way they did in the 1950s, it would be a mistake to think the problem has gone away.

Air pollution hasn’t disappeared, but it has changed. A new Act could consolidate responsibilities, strengthen enforcement powers, and create a coherent national strategy that reflects modern day sources of pollution: from road transport to domestic wood burning.

3. Toxic air is a social justice issue

Air pollution does not affect everyone equally. Vulnerable groups, including children, older people, pregnant women, and those with long-term health conditions are disproportionately affected. As are people living in more deprived areas and from minoritised communities, who already shoulder the burden of wider social inequalities. A new Clean Air Act should embed fairness at its core, ensuring that no community is unfairly penalised by air pollution.

4. The UK risks falling behind international standards

Across Europe, air quality standards are tightening as the scientific evidence of the health and environmental harms of air pollution have becoming clearer. The World Health Organization updated its guidelines in 2021 and many of our European neighbours are moving to meet them. Without a stronger and bolder legislative framework, the UK risks lagging behind its closest neighbours both scientifically and politically. A new Clean Air Act would signal renewed leadership and a commitment to our shared environment.

5. Public support for cleaner air is stronger than ever

From local campaigns to landmark rulings, there is sustained pressure across the country for bolder action on air pollution – now we need political action. In 2021, the inquest into the death of nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah found that exposure to air pollution was of the causes of her death, the first such finding in UK history. Five years on, the government’s response has not matched the gravity of that conclusion. A Clean Air Bill in the King’s Speech would signal that the Government has heard what the courts, campaigners, and communities have said, and is prepared to act.

The King’s Speech on 13 May must be a moment for action, not to simply signal ambition, but to deliver on it. When the King sits down on his throne on 13 May and outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session, the words before him should leave no doubt: “This government is committed to passing a historic new Clean Air Act.”