Press note: Three points to look out for in this week’s EP ENVI air quality debate
Health groups asked members of the EP ENVI committee to step up on clean air for health with science-based air quality standards.
Joint letter to ENVI MEPs: Health organisations’ recommendations to step up on clean air for health with science-based air quality standards
The European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety is currently considering the proposal to revise the EU’s ambient air quality directives (AAQD), a cornerstone for the protection of people’s health and the environment from air pollution.
Today, HEAL, together with six more health organisations, has written to members of the committee, urging them tostep up on the European Commission’s proposal, to reduce ill-health and health cost swiftly and significantly.
Letter from Europe’s environmental NGOs on the cars CO2 deal
HEAL and others have written to German chancellor Scholz and vice-chancellor Habeck with concern regarding the recent political backpedalling and confusion created by the German government that has led to the postponement of the Council vote on the new CO2 standards for cars and vans.
The NGOs have called on them to stand firm and confirm the support of your government for the existing agreement without further delay.
Clean Air for Health, for everyone
Air pollution is the top environmental threat to health in Europe, leading to around 400,000 premature deaths per year and billions of Euros in health costs...
Gesundheitsverbände fordern stärkere Anstrengungen zur Verbesserung der Luftqualität
Die Bundesärztekammer und die Gesundheitsverbände Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) und Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit (KLUG) fordern dringende Maβnahmen, um die unterschätzte Krankheitslast durch Luftverschmutzung und insbesondere Feinstaub zu senken. Bei der aktuellen Überarbeitung der Luftqualitätsgrenzwerte auf EU-Ebene sollte sich die Bundesregierung für die vollständige Angleichung der Grenzwerte mit Empfehlungen der Weltgesundheitsorganisation bis 2030 einsetzen, damit Deutschland und die EU Vorreiter beim Gesundheitsschutz werden.
Joint letter to EU environment ministers: Health groups’ recommendations to step up on clean air for health with science-based air quality standards
HEAL, together with CPME, EFA, AIM, EPHA and Mutualites Libres, has today sent a joint letter to EU environment ministers who are currently considering the proposal to revise the EU’s ambient air quality directives (AAQD), a cornerstone for the protection of people’s health and the environment from air pollution...
Luftqualität: Gesundheit durch neue Standards schützen
Luftqualität: Gesundheit durch neue Standards schützen Hohe Risiken für akute und chronische Krankheiten durch Feinstaub und Stickstoffdioxid Hannover/Brüssel, 28.10.2022. Die Gefahr ist unsichtbar: Luftverschmutzung ist ein großer umweltbedingter Risikofaktor für die…
Air pollution law revision can be a game changer for zero-pollution ambition
Today, the European Commission released the proposed update to the Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQD), the first one since 2008. As part of the Zero Pollution Package, this proposal has…
Reactions from the health community on the European Commission’s proposal on updating the Ambient Air Quality Directive
The European Commission’s proposal on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive fails to address the urgency to act, to swiftly reduce the health burden.
Reactions from the health community:
EU leaders: reaffirm Europe’s leadership in clean air policies
Joint letter by C40, Clean Cities Campaign, European Cyclists' Federation, Transport & Environment and HEAL, calling to Fully align EU limit values for pollutants with the global air quality guidelines…
Letter to European Commission: Civil society vision on how the EU can deliver the European Green Deal and address the multiple crises we face
The Green 10 wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vice President Frans Timmermans, Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, Commissioners Thierry Breton and Virginijus Sinkevičius to express their concern that the Commission’s Letter of Intent listing priority initiatives for 2023 failed to mention a number of the priority legislative files expected for the European Commission to publish in 2023 based on earlier plans by the European Commission.
100+ organisations call for stricter, WHO aligned EU air pollution limits
Exactly one year after the World Health Organization (WHO), after a systematic review of the science, published new Global Air Quality Guidelines with recommendations for maximum concentrations of the major air pollutants, more than 100 organisations in 17 EU countries have called on their health and environment ministers to save lives and protect nature from air pollution with science-based EU air quality standards.
Letter to MEPs: Wood burning harms our health and fuels climate change
HEAL, together with the German Alliance on Climate Change and Health (KLUG e.V.), the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), the German Public Health Association (DGPH) and KlimaDocs e.V. has today sent a letter to Members of European Parliament calling on them to stop classifying wood as a renewable energy source in RED III and to end subsidies for wood as an energy source.
Toolkit (EN, IT, DE): Advocating for clean air – how to communicate the science
HEAL has produced a science to policy communications toolkit for fellow NGOs and anyone working on clean air advocacy.
Recommendations from the Turkish health sector on improving air quality
Turkey is a country with a high burden of disease from air pollution. Poor air quality is the leading environmental risk factor for premature death in the country (and also…
Leading Western Balkans health experts call on leaders in the region to set ambitious plans for zero air pollution policy
Leading health experts working in the Western Balkans, together with the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), have launched the first regional Expert Statement to call for the development and implementation…
HEAL and European Cancer Leagues relaunch infographic illustrating how Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
To mark the start of the European Week Against Cancer 2022, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues (ECL) have teamed up to relaunch an infographic telling the story behind environmental cancer prevention.
False fix: the hidden health impacts of Europe’s fossil gas dependency
First of its kind analysis on the health harm of burning fossil gas shows that in 2019 alone, burning fossil gas for power (and heat) generation caused over 2,800 premature deaths from…
Mental health and cities
Our new infographic explores the links between cities, climate change, air pollution and mental health - and how we can create mental health-friendly cities. Available in English and Polish.
