UK’s First Clean Air Night Campaign

Last Wednesday, 24 January, was the culmination of the first Clean Air Night campaign to highlight the dangers of wood burning. Global Action Plan developed the month-long campaign to inform the public about how burning wood worsens air quality. 

CRP has often spoken about the dangers of particulate matter (PM) from transport-related activities.  However, domestic burning accounts for more than one-quarter of PM2.5 emissions in the United Kingdom. Particulate matter poses a danger to the human respiratory system and is linked to diabetes and dementia, among other health concerns. 

Burning wood also produces more carbon dioxide than oil or gas, and cutting down trees wreaks havoc on natural habitats. It takes decades to regrow trees to restore damaged ecosystems and reabsorb carbon in our atmosphere. 

Aside from the dangers to our health and environment, wood burning is more expensive than boilers or heat pumps. 

You can learn more about the campaign and the hazards of woodburning by visiting the Clean Air Hub, exploring #CleanAirNight, or downloading this toolkit produced by Impact on Urban Health and Global Action Plan.