New investment in air quality monitoring in London

The Mayor of London has announced new investment in air quality monitoring worth almost £1.5 million, to help ensure London’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is green and clean.

Alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies, Sadiq Khan has said that the investment will fund the day-to-day running of 195 air quality sensors across the capital, as well as further research and community engagement until November 2024. That means that data from the sensors – installed at hospitals, schools and in local authorities to measure pollution locally – will produce real-time air quality data that Londoners can access on the new Breathe London website.  

Also, for the first time, the website will bring together the data from London’s existing monitoring network alongside Breathe London sensors, meaning once all the sensors are in operation it will host data from over 300 monitoring sites.

Khan has said that a new sponsorship programme, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Imperial College London, will help provide an additional 60 sensors available to London communities over next three years. Organisations and individuals will be able to apply to host a sensor in a location of their choice from the summer, with all associated costs covered. The first 10 sensors will be released in the autumn.  

Khan, said: “I am delighted that Londoners will now have access to real-time, accurate air quality data for their area from more than 300 monitoring sites. This will improve awareness and help people reduce their exposure to polluted air.  

“The new website we are launching today will also help City Hall, TfL and the boroughs better target efforts on improving air quality at a local level. Thanks to support from Bloomberg Philanthropies we will be helping community organisations to monitor air pollution by enabling them to host sensors in a location of their choosing at no cost to them.  

“As we look towards a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, it is vital that we create a city that is cleaner and greener. Never has tackling London’s toxic air been more important, which is why I am taking these bold and innovative steps to improve it. But I can’t do this alone. Now, we need government to step up and match my ambitions. If they give cities the powers and funding needed, we will be able to make air pollution a thing of the past.”