Air quality - what can individuals do?

Most of us contribute to air pollution in some way, and all of us suffer the consequences through the air we breathe. We can, collectively, make a difference to London's air quality, by making small changes to the way we live and travel.

More details can be found in the full Air Quality Strategy document.

We all contribute to air pollution and through our own, individual actions we can all help to improve the air we all breathe. Choices we make with transport, buying goods and energy use can have a significant and cumulative effect. It often appears that there is little reason to change our actions, since one person alone cannot make a difference to pollution levels. However, even if each of us were only to make a small change to our daily lives, it could have a major cumulative impact on London's air.

So what can I do to improve air quality?

• Walk, cycle or use public transport instead of taking the car, the Transport for London journey planner can help.
  
• Adopt a smoother driving style - harsh acceleration and braking makes pollution worse.
  
• Service your vehicle regularly - this can reduce pollution and make it cheaper to run.
  
• When buying a vehicle, consider its pollution. Generally, newer vehicles are less polluting. Consider choosing alternative fuelled vehicles, such as gas or electric vehicles, that are eligible for a PowerShift grant.

Further information on what you can do in terms of:

• making cleaner travel choices
  
• considering the impact of your driving and car use
  
• thinking about how to improve energy efficiency
  
• buying goods with less environmental impact
  
• Improving your indoor air quality
  
• Reducing emissions in the garden

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