Net zero has a big clean air bonus that can’t be ignored

This post is by Sophie O’Connell, senior analyst at the Clean Air Fund. 

This month marked the 70^th anniversary of the UK’s first Clean Air Act, introduced in 1956 following The Great Smog of London. For five days, coal-induced smog settled over the capital, contributing to an estimated 4,000 deaths in just a few days, bringing the public health impacts of air pollution into sharp focus.

The UK has come a long way in the seven decades since, from introducing Clean Air Zones in major cities and upgrading cars to cleaner vehicles. Yet, despite this progress, air pollution was linked to 30,000 deaths in 2025, it continues to harm millions of people across the country, disproportionately impacting those from low income and racialised communities.

UK air pollution significantly breaches health guidelines
Our air pollution limits for fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are, respectively, double and four times higher than the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines. Air pollution remains the biggest environmental threat to health in the country, contributing to premature mortality, chronic illness and wider economic costs through reduced productivity, pressure on healthcare systems and poorer quality of life. The 70^th anniversary of the Clean Air Act has been met with calls for new legislation and more ambitious targets to accelerate progress, both by campaigners and MPs during Barry Gardiner’s recent Westminster Hall debate.

The consequences of climate change, and their link to air pollution, are also increasingly difficult to ignore. This summer, the UK has seen red alerts issued for extreme heat, indicating that the recent heatwaves are a significant risk to life, even for healthy populations. At the same time, the London Mayor Sadiq Khan triggered a high air pollution alert, as hotter, drier weather increased ground level ozone and levels of particulate matter. The mayor urged residents to take steps to protect their health and reduce emissions. All this comes at a time when the UK is gearing up for a new prime minster, offering an opportunity for the government to accelerate progress on decarbonisation and the cleaner air it will lead to.

Climate and air quality policies go hand in hand
Climate and clean air policies are mutually reinforcing. The measures that cut greenhouse gas emissions can also reduce exposure to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, leading to long lasting gains for public health and workforce productivity. Against the backdrop of heatwaves and air pollution alerts, The Clean Air Fund launched its latest report showing cleaner air is one of the most significant and immediate dividends of climate policies. The clean air dividend of net zero, produced by CBI Economics and WSP, quantifies the health and economic air quality benefits of the UK’s net zero pathway. It shows how falling emissions reduce population exposure to harmful pollutants and translates those improvements into measurable health and economic outcomes. The headline stats show net zero policies would lead to an estimated £7.7 billion in productivity gains by 2050 through improved workforce health, reduced illness related absences and longer working lives; 38 million additional working days, equivalent to around 168,000 full time working years returned to the UK economy; 264,000 avoided premature deaths, equivalent to the population of a city roughly the size of Newcastle upon Tyne;  and almost 500,000 avoided hospital admissions from respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, easing pressure on the NHS and saving taxpayers’ money.

Behind these figures are families, friends, colleagues and communities whose lives could be longer and healthier as a result of cleaner air.

London has the most to gain
Although the study shows significant national impacts, the London case study highlights the capital has the most to gain. Despite making significant progress in reducing pollution levels in recent years, London’s baseline pollution levels sit well above the national average, due to its population density, intensive road network and high volume of activity, meaning the city has potential to experience a disproportionate share of future UK-wide air quality benefits relative to its size. For London, the air quality benefits of net zero by 2050 include £2.1billion in productivity gains, 44,000 deaths avoided and 533,000 life years and nine million working days gained.

Interestingly, the analysis also highlights where London differs from the rest of the country. Unlike the national picture, where surface transport decarbonisation generates the largest air quality benefits, for London, decarbonising buildings will have the most impact, reflecting the progress made on transport to date and the importance of cleaner heating sources in dense areas. These results show that decarbonisation policy cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ approach; local leaders should tailor and accelerate action on policies that will yield the biggest health gains for their communities.

This research shows the case for net zero extends well beyond greenhouse gas emissions. But the policies that reduce these also have immediate and lasting benefits for health, productivity and quality of life, which will be felt not just by future generations, but by communities across the UK today.

Photo by Arun Pushpam Raj on Unsplash