6 September 2024
The problem
London is one of the most polluted cities in the UK, with road transport emissions contributing significantly to the poor air quality. In 2019, air pollution in London was linked to the premature deaths of around 4,000 residents. Children growing up in polluted areas are likely to suffer from stunted lung development by 10-15%.
Despite the severe impact on public health, air pollution was an underreported and inadequately addressed issue in the UK. The need for immediate and effective action to mitigate the health risks associated with air pollution in London became increasingly evident to concerned parents and caregivers.
The solution
In response to the alarming levels of air pollution, Jemima Hartshorn founded Mums for Lungs, a grassroots campaign group advocating for clean air in London. Formed in 2017, when Jemima was on parental leave, the group brought together parents who worried about the dirty air on the UK’s streets while walking around with their babies.
We need public awareness because the politicians and other leaders, they’re not going to lead the way and put in a law saying we need cleaner cars unless the public calls for it. So public awareness is the basis of what will change for us.
Jemima Hartshorn
The group quickly went from concerned citizens meeting to talk to action. They started responding to local government consultations around local proposals and neighbourhood issues that affect children. They wrote letters to the London Mayor and local councils making the case for clean air measures. The initiative quickly gained traction, growing into an organisation with six part-time staff supported by hundreds of volunteers across the UK.
Mums for Lungs has spearheaded several impactful campaigns over the years. They started advocating for “School Streets” in 2018. School Streets are schemes where roads near schools are closed during drop-off and pick-up times to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution. The group spoke to hundreds of parents to garner support. They also supported schools and local authorities to effectively implement school streets across London.
The group drove effective action to curb emissions from diesel vehicles, which are the most polluting type of car. They campaigned at Lambeth Council to implement surcharges for diesel vehicles, which means diesel cars cost significantly more than petrol or electric vehicles.
In 2019, the UK government set a target to end the sale of diesel vehicles by 2040. Along with other campaign groups, Mums for Lungs called for this date to be brought forward.
The impact
Mums for Lungs has played a critical role in raising public awareness and influencing policy changes to improve air quality in the UK. There are now over 600 School Streets across London, and around 200 across England. By generating widespread support for these measures, the group has helped reduce children’s exposure to harmful pollutants during critical times of the day.
They successfully drove implementation of surcharges for diesel vehicles in Lambeth, which discourages the purchase and use of these highly polluting cars. Following the campaigning of Mums for Lungs and other campaign groups in 2019, the UK government announced a ban on diesel vehicles would come into force in 2030 (although this was disappointingly delayed to 2035 three years later).
Mums for Lungs exemplifies the power of community-driven activism in tackling environmental issues. However, the fight is far from over. Mums for Lungs continues to push for broader public awareness and policy changes, in particular a ban on wood burning stoves, a major source of particulate matter pollution in the UK.
We want people to volunteer and engage with us. We are at the end of the day, a positive campaigning group that wants change for children’s health.
Jemima Hartshorn
