Why it’s vital for the construction sector to be engaged in improving air quality

Air pollution has a devastating impact on health and disproportionately affects those who often contribute the least to the problem: children, older people and people with heart and lung conditions. Poor air quality is an issue of health inequity that intersects with other drivers of poor health – which is why we’re committed to finding equitable solutions. This means focussing on the sectors that are currently contributing the most to emissions in our inner-city areas but are eager for change.

Daniel Marsh, Programme Manager at the Centre for Low Emission Construction, explains why it’s vital that people working in the construction sector understand the health effects of air pollution and are proactive in improving air quality in and around construction sites.

When we think about air pollution in our cities, we often think of vehicles and congested roads bringing areas to a standstill. Policies like the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) aim to deliver real results to address the problem, with the increased use of cleaner vehicles lowering harmful emissions. But traffic is just one source of dangerous air pollution; we also need to urgently address the other main sources, including from the construction industry, which is a sector that I know well.

It doesn’t really matter which direction you look in London, the skyline seems to be dominated by tall tower cranes, large infrastructure projects, areas of regeneration, and other building works, often running over many months, or even years. This construction activity, and the large machinery used across the sites, can, if not properly controlled, significantly contribute to air pollution and affect the health of residents and workers.

There is some regulation in place through London’s policy and planning requirements, and the large infrastructure projects have set ambitious targets to try and control emissions. But these often only use the minimum amount of clean technology, rather than aiming for innovation and using the cleanest available technologies.