Clean Air Fund partners with Arup on global Clean Air Zone initiative

To be developed in partnership with International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and Kaleidoscope Health and Care, the guidance will better equip cities to design and deliver programmes aligned to the needs of different urban centres.

Global city leaders and planners will be able to use the guidance as a basis for targeted action related to air quality improvements, encompassing specific measures for traffic control, limited traffic zones and emission standard controls.

Sarah Legge, Associate Director, Arup, said:

“Improving air quality is of paramount importance to citizen and planetary health—especially within highly populated, urban areas. Recent years have shown us that the impact of air pollution is often inequitable, meaning solutions at a city level, such as Clean Air Zones, are essential. Our guidance seeks to make implementable strategies more accessible and outcome orientated, learning from global successes and how inevitable challenges can be overcome.”

Drawing on a breadth of diverse city experiences and insights, recommendations will be informed by actors at the fore of clean air initiatives already implemented or at conception stage.

Also referred to as Low Emission Zones, the timely collaboration follows heightened global awareness of the relationship between air quality and population health, especially in dense urban areas.

Leveraging the organisations’ varied expertise and nuanced experience across the sustainability, environmental and transport sectors, the guidance will consider the holistic co-benefits of tackling air pollution for different communities globally.

Jane Burston, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Air Fund, said:

“City residents deserve access to clean air. Clean air zones are a proven measure for tackling air pollution and delivering huge health and economic advantages for their citizens. More cities around the world need support to design effective clean air zones that work for their communities, allowing millions more people to breathe the benefits.”