According to WHO, indoor and outdoor air pollution is the largest single environmental health risk, causing numerable non noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, stroke and lung cancer as well as increasing the risk for acute respiratory infections.
HEAL works with Global, European, national and local partners and decision-makers to decrease those preventable diseases and to protect those most vulnerable – pregnant women, children, the elderly and those already ill or poor.
Environment Ministers have to show commitment to EU action on air quality in 2020
17th February 2020
In the upcoming Council Conclusions on Air Quality, we call on Environment Ministers to:
Reflect the urgency to act on air pollution for health protection: the positive effects of this Green Deal need to be breathable by the end of the current EU Commission’ mandate.
Translate the urgency into action by paving the way forward: the EU Green Deal ambition needs to take the shape of clear steps for clean air in 2020, with a view to aligning the EU air standards with the WHO guidelines.
Environmental health priorities for Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union
17th January 2020
Croatia holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2020. In a letter to Croatia's prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, HEAL shared its priorities on how we consider the Presidency can help advance the protection of health from environment and climate threats in the next months, particularly regarding the EU Green Deal proposal.
Joint letter calling concrete clean air steps in European Commission’s 2020 Work Programme
14th January 2020
HEAL, together with 7 other health and environmental civil society organisations has today sent a…
The European Green Deal identifies right areas for action but more urgency needed to meet zero pollution ambition and benefit health
11th December 2019
Today, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal plan that sets out many environmental health issues, where the European Union policies such as climate, air or chemicals, can help deliver a zero pollution objective and better health protection for all. However, to achieve the transformational, systemic change needed to address the magnitude of the challenges the world is facing today, the timeline and scope of the European Green Deal will have to better reflect the evidence which clearly makes the case for more urgent action.
A European Green Deal that strives for a healthy planet for healthy people is putting zero pollution and health protection at its core
4th December 2019
HEAL together with members called on the European College of Commissioners and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to translate the support they have expressed for environmental health protection during their parliamentary hearings into tangible and impactful policy proposals and legislation. Zero pollution and health protection need to be at the core of the Commission’s flagship European Green Deal. It is essential that the European Green Deal delivers on climate change, on clean air and on health protection from hazardous chemicals, including endocrine disrupting chemicals.
New EU Commission needs to walk the talk on clean air
29th November 2019
The Commission Staff Working Document on the Fitness Check of the Ambient Air Quality Directives, published today, makes it abundantly clear that it is necessary and beneficial to have European air quality standards. At the same time, the assessment points out that standards need to be implemented and applied rigorously, and that the current standards are not fully based on the latest science and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Toolkit on ‘Communicating on air quality and health’
10th October 2018
In spite of the work carried out by the EU institutions, the Member States, many…
Healthy buildings, healthier people
28th May 2018
Buildings: They shape our health and well being on a daily basis regardless of whether…
Toolkit on ‘Communicating on air quality and health’
10th October 2018
In spite of the work carried out by the EU institutions, the Member States, many…
Environment Ministers have to show commitment to EU action on air quality in 2020
17th February 2020
In the upcoming Council Conclusions on Air Quality, we call on Environment Ministers to:
Reflect the urgency to act on air pollution for health protection: the positive effects of this Green Deal need to be breathable by the end of the current EU Commission’ mandate.
Translate the urgency into action by paving the way forward: the EU Green Deal ambition needs to take the shape of clear steps for clean air in 2020, with a view to aligning the EU air standards with the WHO guidelines.
Environmental health priorities for Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union
17th January 2020
Croatia holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2020. In a letter to Croatia's prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, HEAL shared its priorities on how we consider the Presidency can help advance the protection of health from environment and climate threats in the next months, particularly regarding the EU Green Deal proposal.
Joint letter calling concrete clean air steps in European Commission’s 2020 Work Programme
14th January 2020
HEAL, together with 7 other health and environmental civil society organisations has today sent a…
A European Green Deal that strives for a healthy planet for healthy people is putting zero pollution and health protection at its core
4th December 2019
HEAL together with members called on the European College of Commissioners and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to translate the support they have expressed for environmental health protection during their parliamentary hearings into tangible and impactful policy proposals and legislation. Zero pollution and health protection need to be at the core of the Commission’s flagship European Green Deal. It is essential that the European Green Deal delivers on climate change, on clean air and on health protection from hazardous chemicals, including endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Joint open letter: EU air quality laws protect our health – Germany must respect them
5th February 2019
Open Letter by health, environmental, transport and legal civil society organisations, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer patients
The European Green Deal identifies right areas for action but more urgency needed to meet zero pollution ambition and benefit health
11th December 2019
Today, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal plan that sets out many environmental health issues, where the European Union policies such as climate, air or chemicals, can help deliver a zero pollution objective and better health protection for all. However, to achieve the transformational, systemic change needed to address the magnitude of the challenges the world is facing today, the timeline and scope of the European Green Deal will have to better reflect the evidence which clearly makes the case for more urgent action.
New EU Commission needs to walk the talk on clean air
29th November 2019
The Commission Staff Working Document on the Fitness Check of the Ambient Air Quality Directives, published today, makes it abundantly clear that it is necessary and beneficial to have European air quality standards. At the same time, the assessment points out that standards need to be implemented and applied rigorously, and that the current standards are not fully based on the latest science and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Citizen science air quality monitoring in and around Parisian schools confirms the need to cut air pollution from transport to protect health
18th September 2019
Brussels/Paris, 18 September 2019 - A citizens’ science monitoring project at six nurseries and primary…
Particulate air pollution found in and around classrooms in Sofia underlines urgency to act for clean air
17th September 2019
Brussels/Sofia, 17 September 2019 - The quality of air inside and outside primary schools in…
Berlin citizen science monitoring shows outdoor air pollution travels indoors to classrooms
17th September 2019
Brussels/Berlin, 16 September 2019 - Traffic pollution urgently has to be further tackled in Berlin…
