Philips, the Philips Foundation and Global Action Plan team up to improve the air quality at schools

September 16, 2020

• New analysis reveals a 50% reduction in air pollution around schools across the UK and Ireland could halve the number of children who have lung function so poor as to affect their everyday lives
• National Clean Air for Schools Framework launched to tackle air pollution in and around schools
• Microscope images of children’s sputum reveal the level of black carbon in their lungs

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and the Philips Foundation, with its mission to provide access to quality healthcare for disadvantaged communities through innovation, together with UK-based charity Global Action Plan reveal new analysis by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) that shows if outdoor air pollution is halved, there could be up to a 20-50% reduction in the number of children with poor lung function across the UK and Republic of Ireland [1].  The analysis also finds the reduction in air pollution seen during the country-wide lockdown leads to asthma exacerbations in children all but disappearing.

Based on this analysis, a coalition comprised of Global Action Plan, the Philips Foundation, Living Streets, Modeshift Stars and Mums for Lungs, with the support of Philips and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), are collaborating for nationwide action by the Government and local authorities to improve air quality at schools, driven by a legally binding target to meet World Health Organization limits.

To support the movement, Global Action Plan and the Philips Foundation, with the endorsement of Philips, have launched “The Clean Air for Schools Framework”. The framework is a free online tool that gives teachers, headteachers, parents and local authorities a bespoke blueprint of actions for tackling air pollution in and around the school. This is drawn from its database of 50 actions that have been validated by a mix of existing research, academic insights from the University of Manchester and in school air quality testing.

The tool is particularly important for schools in air pollution hotspots [2] across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.  It will enable them to reduce air pollution from their own operations, educate the next generation to help them and their families make cleaner air choices and become a local leader on air pollution, working with partners to improve air quality in the local area.