Air pollution & environmental justice?

Air Pollution & Environmental Justice? Differential exposure across UK regions & communities.

Substantial differences exist in both concentrations of outdoor air pollutants and the distribution of emission sources across the UK. How these differences are experienced by individuals, however, is unclear.

Some studies show that lower socioeconomic households, certain minority ethnicity groups and particular age groups are more exposed to emissions sources and higher air pollution concentrations. These groups may also have elevated exposure related to modes of travel and occupation. Factors affecting disparities associated with indoor air pollution, including from damp and mould, cooking, cleaning, smoking and heating are also complex.

The concept of “environmental justice” is used to assess differential effects of interventions and policy in the United States, but it is not widely researched or applied in the UK. However, the UK’s many comprehensive, open-access government datasets provide opportunities for such differential effects to be further assessed. This lecture will explore how such research can help inform policy decisions.

This talk is jointly organised with the Royal Geographical Society.

Professor Jo Barnes is Director of the Air Quality Management Resource Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol. She has almost 20 years’ research experience in air quality management, policy and practice at local, national, European and international levels. She has worked with and on behalf of numerous local authorities, Defra and the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Greater London, other Member States, the EEA and the European Commission to implement and develop air quality management policies and practices.