Exclusive: Clean Air Day theme confirmed for 15 June 2023

Global Action Plan, the environmental charity that co-ordinates Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest campaign on air pollution, has launched the 2023 theme for this year’s event which will take place on June 15th.

This year’s theme ‘Clean up our air to look after your mind this Clean Air Day’ highlights increasing evidence that shows people who breathe polluted air are more likely to develop mental health and brain conditions.

In its seventh year, Clean Air Day helps to drive a positive shift in public knowledge and action. The day is a chance to find out more about air pollution, share information, and make our air cleaner and healthier for everyone.

The theme has been chosen because while cleaning up the air not only benefits physical health and the environment but can also protect mental and brain health. The physical health impacts of air pollution – such as asthma, heart disease and cancers – have been recognised for decades. More recently, researchers are beginning to understand how air pollution can affect the brain and the mind.

People who breathe polluted air are more likely to develop mental health and brain conditions. Being exposed to air pollution is linked to mental health and brain conditions such as depression, anxiety and dementia. When a person breathes polluted air, small pollution particles can enter through the lungs, into the blood stream and can reach the brain.

This year’s campaign will encourage people to visit the Clean Air Hub to:

Learn: find out more about how air pollution impacts our mental, physical and planet’s health.

Act: walk, wheel or use public transport to reduce your exposure and contribution to air pollution. If you drive, try leaving the car behind on Clean Air Day and one day every week.

Ask: get in touch with your local councillor to ask them to support clean air measures that make it easier for you to breathe clean air.

The Clean Air Day 2023 resources will be published in mid-April, for use by individuals, schools, businesses, health organisations, community groups and local authorities to show their support for action on air pollution.

Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air at Global Action Plan, says: ‘Clean Air Day helps people understand their personal connection to air pollution. It inspires active participation in both behavioural and organisational changes to clean up our air. And crucially it is a galvanising moment of collective voice to call on our local decision makers for system-wide changes that will make even bigger differences to the air we breathe.   Experiencing and participating in mass action will reward and embed the desire for change, as well as showcase the demand for this change to decision makers.

‘This year’s theme draws attention to the growing evidence base that shows air pollution can impact our mind and brain health. By taking clean air action on 15 June and every day, we are improving our air quality and reducing our risk of developing mental health and brain conditions.’

To stay up to date on Clean Air Day 2023, sign up to the newsletter, or for more information on how to protect your health from air pollution, head to the Clean Air Hub.