The UK has breached EU regulations on air pollution every year since they were put in place in 2008. Scientists estimate that air pollution may be to blams for 36,000 premature deaths per year in the UK.

Moreover, the incidence of asthma in the UK (5.4 million people) has risen to epidemic proportions over the last 50 years. It is now amongst the highest in the world with one in ten children (around 1.4 million under 16 year olds) suffering from asthma. On average 3 people a day die of asthma in the UK. For more information see Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation. The rate of asthma deaths in the UK (1434 in 2015) has increased too (+20% in 5 years) and is almost 50% higher than the average death rate in the EU.

According to a report by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, British air pollution is knocking up to nine years off the lives of people who live in pollution hotspots or who have respiratory illness. For more details see New Scientist.

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