Pollution-choked cities tempting parents to move

Recent research from the environmental charity Hubbub has revealed that 59 per cent of parents would move house to escape air pollution if they could afford it.

In fact, 12 per cent of parents of under-18s have already fled cities to areas with cleaner air due to growing concerns over the children’s health. A further fifth are considering similar action, with 31 per cent stating that air pollution has been, or will be, a factor in choosing which school their child attends.

Marking the launch of the #AirWeShare campaign, the charity also revealed that 83 per cent are concerned about the effects off air pollution on themselves or their family, rising to 89 per cent for parents withs cool-aged children and 92 per cent with children under the age of five.

Wider findings from the survey reveal that 58 per cent of people do nothing to reduce their exposure to air pollution, with many believing that they cannot avoid heavily-polluted areas. Almost a fifth of respondents think that small changes won’t make a difference.

Elle McAll, creative partner at Hubbub, said: “There is mounting evidence that breathing in polluted air can affect our health in the long-term. Despite this, not enough has been done to clearly communicate the risks of poor air quality. The good news is, there are steps that everyone can take to help protect themselves and their families. Though this campaign, we aim to help individuals make the changes that are right for them, as well as bringing together leading companies to collaborate on making change happen at scale. Today I’m calling on businesses to step forward and join the coalition backing this campaign so we can accelerate the process of cleaning up the air we share.”

The #AirWeShare campaign will provide practical advice about how people can protect themselves and their families, what they can do to reduce their own emissions, and how they can add their voice to the wider call for cleaner air.