National Clean Air Day 2025: Clean Air Starts with Clean Energy 🌍
Why Clean Air Matters, Now More Than Ever
On Thursday 19 June, the UK marks National Clean Air Day 2025, the country’s largest campaign to raise awareness of air pollution and accelerate efforts to tackle it.
Air pollution contributes to over 29,000 premature deaths annually in the UK, according to the Royal College of Physicians. It’s a silent public health crisis — one that disproportionately affects children, elderly people, and lower-income communities.
This year’s theme — “Air from First Breath to Final Breath” — reminds us that cleaner air improves quality of life at every age. But reducing emissions means more than behavioural change. It means investing in clean infrastructure, energy systems, and technology.
☀️ Clean Energy = Clean Air
Energy generation is a major driver of air quality. The faster we transition to renewables, the faster we reduce pollution.
Here’s how renewable energy supports cleaner air:
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Solar and wind power produce zero air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) or particulate matter (PM₂.₅) — key culprits in respiratory disease.
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Electrification of transport, powered by renewables, helps eliminate tailpipe emissions from cars and vans — the UK’s biggest source of urban air pollution.
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Battery storage systems enable more reliable, fossil-free power delivery even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
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Green hydrogen, derived from electrolysis using renewable electricity, offers a long-term solution for heavy industry and logistics — traditionally high-polluting sectors.
🌐 Real Progress – But More Needed
The UK’s reliance on coal has dropped dramatically, and renewable generation now regularly meets over 40% of electricity demand. Yet air pollution remains above legal limits in many urban areas — especially near major roads, construction zones, and industrial sites.
As we move toward net zero 2050, clean energy infrastructure is essential not only to reduce carbon emissions but to directly improve the air we all breathe.