Clean Air Programme Local Government Workshop

News

12th December 2023

The first Clean Air Programme Local Government Workshop took place in the City of York on 2^nd November 2023. Over 40 local authority officers, politicians and researchers joined the meeting facilitated by the Champions team, which focused on four key themes:

Air quality sensors
Air quality data and modelling
Indoor air quality
Public engagement

Clean Air Champion Suzanne Bartington and Met Office Clean Air Engagement Ambassador Noel Nelson opened the meeting, outlining the workshop aims – to facilitate uptake of academic tools and knowledge and to better understand practical needs in local government. Attendees then heard from political leaders Cllr Kate Ravilious (City of York), Cllr Anna Railton (Oxford City), Richard Clewer (Wiltshire) and Sarah Warren (Bath and North-East Somerset) who shared their first-hand experience of clean air and climate policy successes and challenges.

Researchers Dr Peter Edwards, Dr Zaheer Nasar, Dr Noel Nelson and Dr Lucy Anderson then provided an overview of outputs from the QUANT and Met Office funded IAQ-EMS, Air Quality Reanalysis and Public Engagement and Educational Tools projects respectively.

In the afternoon, delegates split into breakout groups to explore the themes in further depth. Each group was encouraged to identify specific applications and next steps for enabling tools and knowledge generated by SPF Clean Air investment to be used in local authority settings. Some interesting key messages were identified about how the programme can continue to support local government policy and practice needs. There was also keen interest in convening a future meeting which integrates political, research and practitioner perspectives.