WM-Air has been working with a number of partners on air quality case studies. A summary of a few of our current impact projects can be found below.

Further partners are welcome and opportunities exist for research impact fellows to be seconded to partner organisations (or to join the WM-Air team in the opposite direction). Please contact us to explore options for collaborating with us. 

Net Zero Innovation Partnership with Sandwell Council

WM-Air are working in Partnership with Sandwell Council and local citizens on a LGA-funded climate innovation project to develop a ‘Leaving No-one Behind’ Climate Champion toolkit, building upon the successful model of Sandwell’s award winning COVID champions programme. A group of Community Climate Champions will be created, consisting of community member from schools, faith centres, NHS staff, Council staff, Councillors and other members of the public. The Champion group will receive a bespoke training programme, made up of a workshop series focusing on communicating different aspects of climate change behaviours, and material with key goals and actions for the wider public to take with a timeline. Surveys will be conducted before and after the training programme in order to measure changes in attitude towards climate change, lessons learned and behavioural shifts.

WMCA Air Quality Strategy

The West Midlands Combined Authority is developing its work on air quality to support the work currently being done by its constituent local authorities. WM-Air is supporting work with stakeholders at WMCA, TfWM and local authorities to identify successful actions and areas complementary to existing local and regional air quality strategies, and bring together an evidence base for a future air quality strategy focused on: a) establishing the health impacts of poor air quality in the West Midlands, b) quantifying the impacts of air quality measures under consideration, and c) exploring air quality and climate change co-benefits related to regional net zero strategies.  We are also exploring place-based environmental inequalities. This will allow the latest science from within WM-Air and more widely to directly contribute to future air quality strategy across the region.

Exploring the Foleshill Road / NE Coventry transport links and impacts of interventions to reduce traffic

Coventry City Council have asked the WM-Air team to undertake a piece of research to use the newly-developed, high resolution West Midlands ADMS air quality model to explore NO₂ levels along Foleshill Road / NE Coventry area, where annual mean levels are thought to exceed 40 ug/m³ (limit set in EU directive 2008/EC/50). Part of tranche 2 of the DfT Emergency Active Travel Fund is allocated for a segregated cycle route in this location; traffic will be deterred from following the A444 down Foleshill Road to Coventry city centre (the shortest route but worst in terms of air pollution exposure). The project will provide evidence to quantify the benefits of such active travel measures in terms of health / air pollutant exposure.

Air Quality Monitoring at NHS Acute Trust Sites

WM-Air is working in partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and Birmingham Women & Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (BWCNHSFT) to assess the impacts of healthcare activities on local air quality and to prioritise mitigation actions. Investigators are undertaking measurements to understand local air pollutant concentrations and working directly with the Trusts to inform sustainability strategies. The measurements include use of diffusion tubes for ambient NO₂ monitoring and Zephyr air pollution sensors for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) assessment at selected sites. Measurements have been used to determine seasonal trends, daily and hourly patterns in air quality. In addition, air quality modelling is used to better understand emission sources of air pollutants at the study sites.

Researchers have also interviewed UHBNHSFT staff to understand and appraise the feasibility and impact of potential clean air actions, generating a prioritised shortlist.

The results will inform environmental sustainability strategies to reduce exposure to air pollution for staff, visitors, and patients at the healthcare sites. These outputs are relevant to advancing protocols for air quality assessment across the UK healthcare sector.

Air Quality Schools Toolkit

The WM-Air team has supported Birmingham City Council to develop an air quality toolkit for schools. WM-Air has provided real world vehicle emissions within the West Midlands to build an emission calculator which will be available online for schools and families to find out the impacts of school journeys on the environment. WM-Air research experts have also contributed to create and review educational resources on air pollution for schools including an animated short movie for children and a lesson plan for secondary school students. This project will help to raise awareness about air pollution in and around schools to achieve a long-lasting behaviour change and improve local air quality in schools across Birmingham, encourage active travels and the use of public transport, and reduce children exposure to harmful air pollutants.

Commonwealth Games Sustainability

The Commonwealth Games (CWG) will be staged in Birmingham in 2022 bringing over 1 million visitors as well as athletes and volunteers to the Games. The logistics associated with hosting an event of this scale may affect air quality during the Games, but also provides an opportunity to establish a positive legacy for air quality. A WM-Air Impact Fellow has been seconded to the sustainability team of the CWG organising committee to support work on air quality, such as reviewing actions taken to improve air quality at previous Games, supporting development of the Commonwealth Games sustainability strategy ensuring that minimising the impact of the Games on air quality is a target, providing guidance and expertise for air quality monitoring and data interpretation, including “low cost” sensors, their placement, and interpretation of the data obtained, around key Commonwealth Games locations, modelling the air quality impacts of predicted CWG traffic scenarios to support the Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) Games route network planning, providing guidance on minimising exposure at park and ride locations, and providing evidence to support the use of low emissions vehicles in the CWG fleet. By providing support on air quality to the Organising Committee WM-Air can ensure that air quality is a key environmental focus of the Games and that any negative impacts of the event are minimised. WM-Air will also work with the Organising Committee to help shape legacy – to maximise the scope for the Games to become a catalyst to inspire behavioural change and provide a lasting air quality impact in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Air Quality and emissions analysis for Birmingham Country Football Association

Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) are part of the national FA’s network that governs, safeguards and aims to increase participation in football across all abilities. Geographically the association covers Birmingham, The Black Country, Coventry, Warwickshire and East Staffordshire. The area includes 1200 member clubs, 4750 teams, 1200 referees and ~100,000 football players. Although there are 7 professional clubs in the region, the main focus is upon ‘grassroots football’. The BCFA are currently undertaking a pioneering project to understand the environmental impact of football, with a view to improving sustainability across all activities. This work is underpinned by the ‘Save Today, Play Tomorrow’ project supporting a four-year future strategy to be launched later in 2021. Existing climate impact analysis has already been undertaken by the Business Insights team, identifying that average adult player emits 0.5 tonnes of CO₂ each season through football-related travel. The organisation has also recently joined the UN’s Sport for Climate Action Framework, requiring accountability for implementing sustainability initiatives for a greener game. The BCFA are working with the WM-Air team to improve understanding of air quality around football locations, and the air pollutant emissions associated with football-related travel, with a view to supporting and delivering clean air and climate mitigation actions. Proposed actions include sustainable travel initiatives and increased awareness of implications for athletic performance and respiratory health. 

Assessing the impact of Voi e-scooters on air quality in the West Midlands

The advent of readily available e-scooter solutions offers opportunity for new mobility, economic growth and (through mode change) significant reduction in urban (car use) emissions.  These are likely to be linked to improved health for city residents (through improved air quality) and carbon reductions (depending upon generation approach).    The overall aim of this collaboration is to assess the scale of benefit achievable (emissions avoided, estimated health gain) for different scenarios of scooter use / journey mode shift, drawing upon usage data to date, and potential future trajectories in scooter uptake.  The focus will be on health-relevant air pollutants (NOx, PM_2.5) and CO₂. In both cases, assessments may be informed by ongoing Future Transport Zone trials commissioned by TfWM through DfT support.

GI for urban developments – planning guidance for Local Authorities

The design of new housing, commercial and mixed developments impacts air quality, both in terms of new or changed emissions from road transport and personal exposure to air pollution on site. Currently, no integrated approach considers how good design can: (i) reduce emissions associated with the development; and/or (ii) extend the distance between pollution sources and people using the development; or, (iii) protect the most vulnerable people. The current Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process occurs too late in the design cycle and is a reactive check, rather than pro-active part of the creative design process. This project built on the success of First Steps in Air Quality in order to develop a short guidance document that considers air quality at all stages of planning, design and development. It applies the principles of Reduce, Extend, Protect, to make clear the extent to which green infrastructure (GI) may be used to encourage active transport (reduce) and physically separate or screen people from pollution (extend and protect).

The resulting Design Charter was developed with a practitioner stakeholder group from local authorities and other interested stakeholders to ensure the guidance is fit for purpose and easy to use. It explains how good urban design can improve air quality using simple principles that benefit air quality and providing practical guidance and illustrations outlining how to implement them in urban areas. Our aim is to provide a new benchmark for how local authorities and other professional practitioners approach the design of new developments for the benefit of air quality.