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LONDON, 17 July 2026 — For years, the headlines about Britain's air have counted the dead. New UK100 research, launched on Monday at the network's tenth anniversary conference, Breathing Life: A Decade of Local Air Quality Ambition, counts the living. Action led by local and regional authorities to clean up England's air prevented an estimated 13,722 deaths between 2019 and 2025, a town roughly the size of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and avoided around £15 billion in damage to health and the economy.

It is the first study to isolate and quantify the health and economic value of cleaner air that can be credited specifically to local authority action. Using the government's own COMEAP methodology, the same approach behind every headline about air pollution deaths, applied in reverse, the report tells the positive side of the ledger for the first time.

The research was launched at the Royal Society of Medicine, where cross-party mayors, council leaders, parliamentarians, NHS leaders and campaigners marked ten years of UK100 and 70 years since the first Clean Air Act.

"For years, the story of air pollution has understandably been told through the harm it does," said Christopher Hammond, chief executive of UK100. "What this research shows, for the first time, is the other side of the ledger." He said the difference made by local leaders, past and present, was "a record to be proud of", but warned that local-national coordination would be "critical to keeping up the momentum" as devolution reshapes local government.

"Not a privilege for those who can afford to live in the right postcodes"

Delivering the conference keynote, Emma Hardy MP, the Minister at DEFRA responsible for air quality, thanked local leaders for "the last decade championing cleaner air and driving real change in your communities".

"Air pollution remains one of the most significant environmental threats to health, but the benefits of action are substantial," the Minister said. "Fewer people becoming seriously ill, fewer hospital admissions, less pressure on frontline services. An NHS fit for the future requires action not just inside the hospital walls, but on the air outside as well.

"While air pollution affects us all, it does not affect us all equally. The reality is that Black and minority ethnic communities and those on low incomes are far more likely to be affected. These are often the communities who contribute least to the problem. That is why improving air quality is so important to this government. It should not be a privilege for those who can afford to live in the right postcodes. This is exactly the kind of injustice that this government exists to tackle."

On the government's devolution agenda, the Minister said local leaders "understand your community's challenges and priorities better than anyone", with mayors and strategic authorities gaining new powers across transport, planning, health, business and energy. "Devolution means trusting local leaders and communities to shape solutions that reflect their local needs. It is about establishing a genuine partnership between central and local government, not government micromanagement."

She closed: "We have cleaner air today because of the leadership shown by the people within this room, and the task is now to build on these foundations and continue making progress for the people and the communities that we serve." A full transcript of the Minister's speech is in the notes to editors.

Thousands more lives within reach

The research finds that local action currently accounts for around 35 per cent of England's air quality improvement. If new and existing strategic authorities were empowered and resourced to make fuller use of the powers they already hold over transport, planning, buses, housing and public health, that share could rise to 45 per cent, saving an estimated 3,900 additional lives and delivering £2.4 billion in further benefit over the same period. The report calls this gap "the real-world cost of the governance and funding gaps" and sets out a practical framework for closing it as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 takes effect.

Polly Billington MP, who founded UK100 a decade ago, told the conference the network's cross-party ambition had delivered results: "What we've seen in the last ten years is enough action, through clean air zones and various different kinds of measures by local leaders, that we have saved the lives of 14,000 people and avoided £15 billion of cost to the NHS and other public services. That is a significant result from what is comparatively a small amount of investment."

"I can't do much about the science itself, but I do know and understand the laws of politics," she added. "We need to harness them to achieve what we have already done in these last ten years, and how much more we need to do."

The clearest picture is in London

The Minister singled out the capital, which has achieved compliance with the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide for the first time, thanking the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for their leadership.

"When the Mayor of London was first elected in 2016, experts said it would take 193 years to clean London's air. We achieved it in just nine years," said Mete Coban MBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, speaking at the conference. "That's because of the local leadership we've had here in London, but also the collaboration and support we've had from organisations like UK100. We've seen that premature deaths are down by 40 per cent from 2019 to 2024, a huge achievement for the health of so many Londoners."

Writing after his keynote, the Deputy Mayor credited the Mayor of London directly: "Premature deaths linked to air pollution are down 40 per cent since 2019 because Sadiq Khan took the tough decisions to clean up our air. Londoners are healthier because of it."

The same story runs at different scales through Bath and North East Somerset, Greater Manchester, Oxford, Nottingham and Hertfordshire. The Minister noted that nitrogen dioxide levels have fallen by a third in Bristol, by 46 per cent in Tyneside and by 40 per cent in Bath and North East Somerset, and the report stresses that the headline figures are the sum of local decisions taken by authorities of every political stripe.

That cross-party breadth is the point, and it was the founding one. "When I started UK100, I simply wanted to make sure that we maintained and strengthened the political consensus that climate change is real and that all of us can do something about it," Billington told the conference, "and that people, particularly decision makers, didn't leave it to somebody else but understood what powers they have and acted on them."

"Clean air is not the property of any one party," agreed Cllr Tim Mitchell, Cabinet Member for City Management at Westminster City Council, a Conservative-led authority at the centre of the capital. Speaking on the conference's public health panel, he said locally led action could "improve people's health without losing sight of a thriving local economy".

Pippa Heylings MP, Liberal Democrat energy spokesperson, who chaired the conference's transport and electrification panel, said: "Looking across to the next decade of clean air, what we need from government is to recognise the role that local authorities around the country play in achieving those national goals, and to give them the powers and resources they need. What it's going to take to really electrify at the pace we need will be clarity, leadership and vision from national government. And that could come through a Clean Air Act, as the UK100 report is asking for."

Reacting to the research, Cllr Sarah Warren, deputy leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, who spoke on the same panel and whose Clean Air Zone features in the report, called it "an excellent report, really worth a read", thanking UK100 "for bringing local government together to accelerate action".

Good medicine, and unfinished business

For the NHS, the case is not abstract. "Clean air is, quite simply, good medicine," said Tanja Dalle-Muenchmeyer, Net Zero Manager at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, who described dirty air as something clinicians "see in our hospitals and clinics across the country".

Marking 70 years since the first Clean Air Act, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, who chaired the conference's public health panel, said: "Healthy life expectancy has gone down two years in the past decade. We've really got to change direction, and clean air is at the absolute centre of that, together with water, housing and community. Those are the things that, coming together, are crucial for a decent, healthy life."

Emma Pinchbeck FEI, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, told the conference: "Clean air and climate change are really related, because a lot of the sources of pollutants in the air that we breathe are fossil fuels that we need to get rid of in order to tackle climate change. There is a really close Venn diagram between those two things. The big story for the next ten years is electrifying more of the economy. If you tackle climate change, you often get improved air quality."

What the report asks of government

The report sets out three asks of national government: a new Clean Air Act with World Health Organization-aligned statutory targets, with the cross-party Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill (Ella's Law) offering a ready vehicle; a long-term, consolidated clean air funding settlement; and a national indoor air quality strategy. It also sets out three calls to action for strategic authorities that need no new legislation: audit their use of existing powers, prepare now for the governance changes coming, and treat cross-governance coordination as essential to delivery.

The Breathing Life conference marked ten years of UK100, the only network of ambitious councils led by all political parties working together to tackle climate change, and 70 years since the first Clean Air Act. It was supported by the Clean Air Fund, UK Power Networks DSO, The MCS Foundation, EMSOL, NESO and the Local Government Chronicle. The research was produced by UK100's Clean Air Network and researched and co-written by Sheryl French of Cambridge Climate.

Photography from the conference and interviews with UK100 spokespeople are available on request.

ENDS

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More information: Liam Ward, UK100, liam.ward@uk100.org, +44 (0)7518 864 210

Notes to editors

About the conference

Breathing Life: A Decade of Local Air Quality Ambition was UK100's tenth anniversary conference, marking a decade of cross-party local leadership on clean air and 70 years since the first Clean Air Act. It took place on Monday 13 July 2026 at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE, bringing together cross-party local leaders, government and sector partners for keynotes, panels and lightning talks. Speakers included Emma Hardy MP (DEFRA Minister responsible for air quality); Mete Coban MBE (Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy); Emma Pinchbeck FEI (Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, in conversation with Martin George, Acting Editor of the Local Government Chronicle); Polly Billington MP (founder of UK100 and Labour MP for East Thanet); Pippa Heylings MP (Lib Dem Energy Spokesperson); Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (former Green Party Leader); and Cllr Tim Mitchell (Cabinet Member for City Management at Westminster City Council).

About the figures

The estimate of 13,722 lives saved is derived using the COMEAP mortality methodology used by the UK government in air quality policy appraisal, applied to the reduction in population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations in England between 2019 and 2025, and attributing around 35 per cent of that improvement to local authority action. The figure represents "an effect on mortality equivalent to" that number of deaths, reflecting many people each gaining additional months or years of life; it does not identify specific individuals. The ~£15 billion figure uses Defra's damage cost (Impact Pathway Approach) methodology, capturing mortality, morbidity and productivity impacts across all age groups. All monetary figures are in 2025 prices.

Full quotes

Christopher Hammond, chief executive of UK100, said:

"For years, the story of air pollution has understandably been told through the harm it does. What this research shows, for the first time, is the other side of the ledger: how local leaders, working together, have helped prevent almost 14,000 unnecessary and untimely deaths and saved around £15 billion by getting on and creating better places to live in.

"These interventions haven't always been welcomed initially, but with time have become accepted and loved by communities. The difference made by those leaders, both past and present, is a record to be proud of. But with the rollout of devolution and local government reorganisation, the local-national coordination will be critical to keeping up the momentum and improving the lives of thousands more in towns and cities across England."

Polly Billington MP, founder of UK100, said:

"When I founded UK100 a decade ago, the idea was simple: local leaders, whatever their party, could achieve more on clean air and climate by working together than apart. Ten years on, that network has grown to more than 120 local and strategic authorities, covering over 60 per cent of the country. This latest research shows what that cross-party ambition has delivered — almost 14,000 lives saved through practical action on air pollution. The job isn't done, but it is a record to be proud of, and a foundation to build on through further devolution and a new generation of political leadership supported by a growing UK100 entering its next decade."

Mete Coban MBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, said:

"London shows what is possible when a major city decides to clean up its air. The world's largest clean air zone of its kind, cleaner buses and bold borough-level action have together cut nitrogen dioxide far faster than the experts predicted, and the capital's air is now measurably cleaner and safer to breathe. But none of this happened by accident — it took political will and a refusal to accept dirty air as an inevitability. As we mark a decade of progress, my message to other leaders is simple: ambition works, and the next decade must be bolder still. This is how we are building a better and greener London for everyone."

Emma Pinchbeck FEI, Chief Executive, Climate Change Committee, said:

"The measures that cut carbon emissions and the measures that clean our air are often one and the same – from warmer, more energy-efficient homes to cleaner transport. Local and combined authorities have a vital role to play in delivering these benefits, working alongside national government. The next decade will be critical. If we get this right, we can reduce emissions, improve public health, and create healthier, more resilient communities across the UK."

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle said:

"It is 70 years since the first Clean Air Act began to lift the smog from our cities, and this anniversary is a reminder that while clean air is a public health priority, victories are only won through hard-fought political will. The progress of the past decade is real and worth celebrating, but we're not at the finish line yet. One child growing up breathing polluted air is one too many. Local leaders have shown what determined action can achieve. But whether it's transport or heating our homes, some of the stickiest air pollution challenges still need urgent action, locally and nationally."

Cllr Sarah Warren, Bath and North East Somerset Council, said:

"Bath's Clean Air Zone has been a resounding success and has cut nitrogen dioxide both within and outside the zone by around 40 per cent since 2019. Strong support from government, substantial time and money spent on engagement with the community, and support for residents and businesses with grants and loans to help upgrade their vehicles, were all key to Bath's success. UK100's Breathing Life research captures what places like ours have achieved, and makes the case for the sustained support we need from government to go even further. Clean air is too important to be left to the postcode lottery; cities, towns and rural areas must all be supported to take action."

Cllr Tim Mitchell, Cabinet Member for City Management, Westminster City Council, said:

"In a dense and busy area at the centre of Britain's capital city, clean air is something residents, workers and businesses feel every day. It is not an abstract goal. The progress we have made shows that sensible, locally led action can improve people's health without losing sight of a thriving local economy. That is why cross-party work through UK100 matters: clean air is not the property of any one party. I am proud Westminster can share what has worked, and learn from leaders across the country doing the same."

Tanja Dalle-Muenchmeyer, Net Zero Manager, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said:

"From the NHS's perspective, the link between dirty air and ill health is not theoretical — we see it in our hospitals and clinics across the country. Preventing air pollution is one of the most cost-effective things we can do for a population's health. This research estimates that local action has already saved almost 14,000 lives and avoided almost £15 billion in damage to health and the economy, easing pressure on services that are already stretched. Working across the NHS, councils and communities, we can save many more. Clean air is, quite simply, good medicine."

Nick Smith, Head of UK Portfolio, Clean Air Fund, said:

"Clean Air Fund is proud to support the Breathing Life report and conference. As a philanthropic organisation working with governments, funders, businesses and campaigners to deliver clean air for all, we back local leadership because we've seen it work, driving healthier communities and a stronger economy across the UK.

"This research puts robust numbers on that impact: local action has saved thousands of lives and billions of pounds in avoided damage to health and the economy. Cleaning up our air is one of the smartest investments this country can make, and local leaders must be backed to go further, faster."

Catherine Kenyon, Head of Clean Air Day, Global Action Plan, said:

"Local leaders play a vital role in cleaning up our air, clearly demonstrated by UK100's research. Over the last month, over 170 councillors have signed up to become local Clean Air Champions for Clean Air Day. These leaders care about the impact air pollution is having on their communities. From tackling emissions from wood burning, transitioning away from gas cooking, to championing sustainable transport, there is so much councils can do to clean up the air for their residents."

Alastair Mumford, Programme Director at The MCS Foundation, said:

"The future of our homes is electric. By accelerating the transition to clean energy technologies like heat pumps, we can ensure homes do not have to burn polluting fuels for heating. Renewable energy systems have real benefits: helping to cut bills and create warmer, more comfortable homes. That's why more households than ever are choosing to invest in renewable technologies for their homes, with one MCS certified installation every 90 seconds in 2025."

Lynne McDonald, UK Power Networks, said:

"As transport and heating become increasingly electrified, electricity networks play a vital role in supporting the transition to cleaner energy. Our role is to make sure the network is ready to connect low-carbon technologies and support local ambitions to reduce emissions. We are proud to support Breathing Life and to work alongside local authorities driving this change. The past decade demonstrates the positive impact that collaboration between local leaders and industry can have."

Keynote speech by Emma Hardy MP, Minister at DEFRA responsible for air quality (transcript of remarks as delivered, lightly edited for clarity)

"Thank you so much, everyone. I'm delighted to give the keynote speech today at the conference. I want to start by thanking you, the people in the room who have spent the last decade championing cleaner air and driving real change in your communities. And particular thanks to Rosamund — I can't see you in the room at the moment, but I know that we'll join her in giving particular thanks to the work that she has done.

"Air pollution remains one of the most significant environmental threats to health, but the benefits of action are substantial. Fewer people becoming seriously ill, fewer hospital admissions, less pressure on frontline services. An NHS fit for the future requires action not just inside the hospital walls, but on the air outside as well. And while air pollution affects us all, it does not affect us all equally. The reality is that Black and minority ethnic communities and those on low incomes are far more likely to be affected. These are often the communities who contribute least to the problem. That is why improving air quality is so important to this government. It is essential for healthy communities, a stronger NHS and a better environment. It should not be a privilege for those who can afford to live in the right postcodes. This is exactly the kind of injustice that this government exists to tackle.

"Investing in clean air is also investing in our economy. When people are healthier, they can participate more fully in work and education. Clean air underpins better neighbourhoods. It is a visible improvement that people can feel. It sits at the heart of our mission to restore pride in the places that people call home. Ultimately, clean air makes for healthier and happier communities.

"Your relentless efforts in improving air quality locally are reflected in what we have been able to achieve nationally. We have seen sustained improvement over recent decades, with emissions of all key air pollutants showing a declining trend. But we know the pace of improvement has slowed. Persistent sources such as road transport and the growing use of wood burners continue to pose challenges, so we must keep pushing forward and exploring what more we can do.

"The Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December 2025, sets out a number of steps government is taking to improve air quality across the country. We have consulted on measures to cut emissions from solid fuel burning, and these include tighter standards for new stoves, clearer labelling and stronger enforcement. We have now reviewed the many, many responses received and will publish the government response later in the year. As we do so, we will balance the need to reduce this sort of pollution and protect public health, while recognising that some households fully rely on solid fuel burning.

"On transport, the government is committed to all new cars and vans being zero emissions at the tailpipe by 2035, and we are also taking steps to decarbonise the UK heavy goods vehicle fleet and support the transition to zero emission buses to help address particulate pollutants. We have consulted on adopting the new Euro 7 standard in Great Britain, which regulates brake and tyre wear particles for the first time. In June, the government published the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, and over the next five years we are projected to invest over £4.5 billion in active travel to support the delivery of 5,000 new walking and cycling routes and 10,000 safer crossings.

"In addition, our proposed reforms to industrial permitting will improve cost recovery for local authorities and support continued emissions reductions while enabling innovation and growth. We will consult on a reformed charging system to ensure environmental permitting is properly funded, and charges can be updated regularly and predictably over time. Alongside this, local authorities will gain new powers to regulate small industry in a fully integrated way and control the wider environmental impact of such sites holistically. The Best Available Techniques system will also be expanded, strengthening environmental protection through modernised standards across the country.

"We are seeing real progress. Nitrogen dioxide exceedances are coming down year on year across local authority monitoring sites. Many areas have now achieved compliance with air quality objectives and, importantly, worked hard to maintain that. But London's progress has been particularly impressive. For the first time, it has achieved compliance with the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide, and I want to thank the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor for their leadership.

"Elsewhere, clean air zones have made a significant contribution. Nitrogen dioxide levels have fallen by a third in Bristol, by 46 per cent in Tyneside and by 40 per cent in Bath and North East Somerset, and it was great to see Cllr Sarah Warren providing first-hand insight today. Other locally developed solutions, such as improved traffic management, support for cleaner vehicles and behaviour change programmes, have helped Derby, Wolverhampton and Leeds to meet national compliance levels for nitrogen dioxide. And in my own city of Hull, a Walk to School challenge has increased active travel by a huge 33 per cent. But this work is not confined to our cities. We have also seen important action in rural areas in West and East Devon, East Sussex and North Yorkshire, where local partners are reducing reliance on private vehicles through better bus services, real-time passenger information and safer active travel networks. Together, these initiatives remove the everyday barriers that shape how people choose to travel.

"The Low Emissions Partnership, a group of proactive local authorities, created the Air Quality Hub, and it is a fantastic resource for local authorities to share case studies and lessons learned. Now, under Defra, it continues to support collaboration across the sector.

"As we enter a new decade of devolution, we want to unlock opportunities for progress and return power to the people who know their areas best, through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act. To drive this change, we need strong local leadership and empowered institutions. This is what devolution is all about. You understand your community's challenges and priorities better than anyone. You know the most polluted roads and the hospitals where vulnerable people may be the most exposed to poor air quality. You know the right blend of powers that will make a difference in your area. Mayors and strategic authorities will have new powers across transport, planning, health, business and energy. This places them in a strong position to improve air quality and public health. They will also have a clear role in Air Quality Action Plans, to provide proposals to help achieve air quality objectives in their areas. This will help embed air quality across local decision making and strategic choices. Devolution means trusting local leaders and communities to shape solutions that reflect their local needs. It is about establishing a genuine partnership between central and local government, not government micromanagement. When we work together, we have the opportunity to improve not only our own lives, but the lives of generations to come.

"We are continuing to expand the Air Quality Hub with new examples of innovation and best practice from around the country. This will help authorities to learn from one another and build capacity where they need it most. As part of our commitment under the Environmental Improvement Plan, we are also delivering a programme of webinars shaped by your priorities. You told us you wanted to hear more about air quality strategies, local monitoring networks, planning and reducing PM2.5, so these sessions are now in development and will be rolled out throughout the year. We are also strengthening support through the planning system. New guidance and practical tools are currently being tested to help planning authorities and developers reduce PM2.5 and improve outcomes on the ground.

"But policy alone is not enough. One of our biggest challenges is helping people understand the risks and feel empowered to be part of the solution. Research tells us that people want local information, so we've launched an online dashboard to make key insights from annual air quality reports more accessible to the public and highlight the work local authorities are doing to drive progress. We're also co-designing a communications toolkit with directors of public health and local authority officers, working together to give them the resources and confidence to communicate the health impacts of air pollution and the actions that can be taken locally. Trusted voices are critical, and there are few more trusted than health professionals. So we've established the Air Pollution Awareness Coalition, bringing together health professionals, civil society and government. Its aim is to deliver clearer, more consistent messages on air pollution, and we're delighted to have local government represented within the coalition, and particularly delighted to have UK100, for their enthusiasm and commitment to this important work.

"There is definitely more to do, but recent decades have shown us what is possible when ambition is matched by action. We have cleaner air today because of the leadership shown by the people within this room, and the task is now to build on these foundations and continue making progress for the people and the communities that we serve. So thank you for everything you have done so far and for everything we will achieve together."

About UK100

UK100 is the only network of ambitious councils led by all political parties working together to tackle climate change. We help local leaders overcome challenges and turn innovation into solutions that work everywhere. We build the case for the powers needed to make change happen. From cities to villages, we help communities across the UK create thriving places powered by clean energy, with fresh air to breathe, warm homes to live in, and a healthy natural environment. UK100.org

Photography: professional images of all Breathing Life speakers are available in the event gallery, with high-resolution, print-quality versions available on request from media@uk100.org. Read the full report:Breathing Life: Reshaping Regional Clean Air Leadership (PDF).