Mayor asks broadcasters to give Londoners air quality updates

The Mayor of London is asking TV and radio broadcasters to inform Londoners about poor air quality through news and weather bulletins.

Sadiq Khan has written to senior figures at BBC London, ITV London and LBC to ask them to include updates on the quality of London’s air during their news bulletins and weather reports and on their websites and apps, which would be coordinated with the existing city-wide alert system.

“London’s filthy air poses a significant threat to our health including harming the development of children’s lungs,” said Khan. “Broadcasters are already doing excellent work covering the threat to public health posed by the capital’s filthy air and I’m asking them to go even further and help empower Londoners to reduce their exposure to harmful pollution. They can do this by providing regular daily air quality information as part of their weather broadcasts.

“I hope that the growing number of weather apps that many Londoners now use will also follow suit and provide air quality information.”

The Mayor already uses electronic signage across the capital’s transport network to alert Londoners when there are high levels of pollution in the air. The alerts are displayed at 2,500 bus countdown signs and river pier signs, 140 road-side dot matrix message signs on the busiest main roads into the city (with advice to switch engines off when stationary to reduce emissions) and electronic update signs in the entrances of all 270 London Underground stations.

Letter from Mayor of London to broadcasters

I am sure you are aware of the air quality challenge facing London, and of my determination to tackle this issue and give Londoners the air quality they deserve. I am hugely grateful for your support in raising awareness of this problem through your recent coverage of this issue.

As you know, we estimate that air pollution contributes to thousands of early deaths each year in London, as well as having effects over the course of our lives, from smaller lungs in our children to greater risk of dementia and stokes when we get older. There are also over 400 schools in London located in areas will illegal levels of pollution and 1-in-10 Londoners under the age of 18 have asthma. Importantly, there is established evidence about the impact that short-term exposure to very high concentrations of pollution can have and the Government has issued corresponding health advice.

One of my first air quality interventions when I became the Mayor of London was to implement a London-wide warning system using bus countdown signs, roadside signs and electronic bulletin boards at Tube stations when pollution in London is forecast to reach ‘High’ or ‘Very High’ on the Defra Air Quality Index. On ‘Moderate’ pollution days I also use social media to inform the public. The information provided empowers people to take steps to reduce their exposure to pollution.

I understand that you currently provide some air quality information to viewers/listeners on an irregular basis and I am keen to learn more about your policy and practice on providing pollution warnings within your news and/or weather reports as well as on your website and apps. I would be especially keen to see more prominent messaging, possibly including some health advice and tips to reduce exposure when High or Very High pollution is forecast, which would chime in with the London-wide warning system I have already adopted.

I would be delighted to work with you to deliver this and look forward to hearing how we can explore this further. 

Sadiq Khan Mayor of London