Natalia Welzenbach-Marcu | May 22nd, 2018

UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove launched his new clean air plan this morning in an attempt to reduce air pollution.

The plan outlines steps to take to reduce the presence of particle matter in the air, including legislating for clean fuel whenever possible and pressuring politicians in the country to properly budget for renewable resources. Currently, air pollution poses the fourth largest threat to public health in the EU, ranking in after cancer, obesity and heart disease. 

Gove hopes that his plan, now out for consultation and review, will help raise awareness about air pollution and the dire consequences of unclean air. A study conducted in the UK showed that roughly 1 in 5 of the respondents aren’t fully aware of how serious air pollution can be.

Gove is hoping that, by pushing pollution education and advocating for an air quality notification system to be implemented on a national level, he can change the public’s awareness of their own air quality and environment.