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FOI - Air quality premature deaths [Mar 2023]

Key information

Request reference number: MGLA210323-3159

Date of response:

Summary of request

Your request

In order to understand Lord Molyan's comments in the House of Lords on 20 March 2023, please supply the premature deaths figures for each of the years of Lord Moylan's deputy chairmanship and each of the years since.

Our response

In 2015, the Environmental Research Group (then of King’s College London) produced a report commissioned by the GLA that analysed the health impacts of air pollution in London.

The report states the total mortality burden in 2010 from PM2.5 and NO2 can be added to give a range from 3,537 to 9,416 equivalent deaths. The report goes into detail on how the figures were calculated.

In 2021, the Environmental Research Group (now of Imperial College London) was 
commissioned by the GLA to produce an updated report on the health burden of air pollution in London.

This report found that ‘...in 2019, in Greater London, the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths were estimated to be attributable to air pollution, considering that health effects exist even at very low levels. This calculation is for deaths from all causes including respiratory, lung cancer and cardiovascular deaths.’ The report goes into detail as to how the figures were calculated.

Please note that due to an updated methodology the 2021 report is not directly comparable to the 2015 report. 

The GLA does not hold any further information on figures for premature deaths attributable to air pollution for other years. 

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA210323-3159. 

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