The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has issued a briefing to MPs on its new report on air pollution, A breath of fresh air: responding to the health challenges of modern air pollution.
On Clean Air Day 2025, the RCP published a new report examining the effects of air pollution on health throughout the life course, calling on UK governments to treat air quality as a public health issue rather than a solely environmental one.
The RCP issued a briefing to MPs summarising the findings and recommendations within it. You can download the MP briefing at the bottom of this page.
The RCP’s new report highlights new evidence gained over the last decade showing that there are now links between air pollution and almost every organ in the body and the diseases that affect them. It estimates that air pollution will contribute to the equivalent of 30,000 deaths in the UK in 2025, with an economic cost of £27 billion due to healthcare costs, productivity losses and reduced quality of life.
The briefing to MPs highlights:
- how air pollution is a preventable public health threat
- how air pollution impacts across a person’s life course
- how air pollution contributes to health inequalities
- the economic burden of air pollution to the UK
- the actions government must take to clean up our air and protect the health of our population