Clean Air Day: How it's being marked in Birmingham

On National Clean Air Day 2021 (June 17) people across the Midlands are doing their bit to spread awareness about how air pollution affects our health.

Birmingham is particularly keen to mark the occasion this year after the introduction of the Clean Air Zone which was launched on June 1, with charging starting from June 14.

Birmingham's Clean Air Zone: What is it and will I be affected?

What is Clean Air Day?

It's an air pollution campaign led by Global Action Plan to bring communities, businesses, schools and the health sector to improve the public's understanding of air pollution.

How Clean Air Day is being marked in Birmingham

Birmingham is celebrating Clean Air Day with a week-long engagement event in the city centre.

A display has been unveiled on the outside Grand Central and New Street Station.

It shows the importance of removing unnecessary vehicle journeys from Birmingham’s roads.

Staff from the Council’s Clean Air Zone and Travel Demand teams will be on hand providing information on the wider effects and solutions to air pollution, aside from vehicular emissions.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar MBE says "Industrial emissions, woodburners in the home – even some household cleaning products, can all contribute to poor air quality."

However there has been some controversy surrounding the Clean Air Zone due to how much it is costing taxi drivers of older, non-compliant vehicles who have to pay a daily charge of eight pounds.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar said taxi drivers in Birmingham have been allocated 40% of the grant allocation.

Read more on Birmingham's Clean Air Zone:

• What difference will the Birmingham Clean Air Zone make to my life and work?

• 'It'll feel safer and I won't need an inhaler:' what do Birmingham’s youngest residents think about the Clean Air Zone?