West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme

“空气质量差是英国公共卫生面临的最大环境风险”[DEFRA，2017]。西米德兰兹郡的空气污染影响了大约280万人，使平均预期寿命减少了6个月，每年造成的经济损失估计为8.6亿英镑。因此，空气质量是地方和区域政府的一个关键优先事项，越来越多的公众，进一步强调“柴油门”排放丑闻，以及高等法院对政府空气质量战略的持续挑战。历史上，地方空气质量政策一直是个别地方当局的责任。然而，空气污染并不尊重政治边界，2016年西米德兰兹联合管理局的成立将导致在西米德兰兹第二次权力下放协议（2017年）下采取综合方法处理空气污染。与此同时，NHS可持续发展转型信托基金正在为健康和社会护理提供综合方法-空气质量是核心优先事项。伯明翰大学集团在空气污染及其健康和经济影响方面拥有临界质量、国际研究专长和NERC记录。我们与区域合作伙伴有着联系的历史，从委托工作和联合研究项目到非正式合作。因此，我们制定了西米德兰兹郡空气质量改善计划（WMAQIP），通过与区域利益相关者（包括WMCA /西米德兰兹郡市长，地方当局，私营公司，行业机构和第三部门组织）共同设计的过程，以提供：- 了解情况（了解空气污染水平和来源），例如，应用于伯明翰清洁空气区的改进和考文垂未来干预措施的设计，避免超过500万英镑的年度成本，并为在城市工作的游客/通勤者带来好处。预测能力，以评估空气质量的政策选择，与业务照常预测相比，污染水平，健康和经济影响-确定干预措施，以实现伯明翰市理事会的目标，到2030年将空气质量相关的死亡率减半（每年750例死亡，每年避免1.7亿英镑的成本）;避免在一切照常的情况下需要额外的6亿英镑的医疗费用，并通知分配2.5亿英镑的经常性和一次性城市内部交通投资。将由此产生的能力应用于特定的政策场景-包括围绕2022年伯明翰英联邦运动会进行的基础设施设计，以改善空气质量，了解未来车队向电动汽车发展的空气质量后果，以及优化HS 2发展的绿色基础设施的空气质量共同利益。WMAQIP直接解决了英国工业战略清洁增长的重大挑战，政府承诺“创造一个我们的城市受益于清洁空气的未来”，以及生产力的基础设施基础，确定了“解决空气污染并支持受影响地区的决心，因为它对公共卫生，经济和环境产生了重大的负面影响。“WMAQIP将NERC的研究专业知识与一系列合作伙伴组织的直接投入相结合。该计划将通过一群影响研究员将环境科学应用于具体的政策优先事项，从而产生政策影响，这些研究员实际嵌入利益相关者组织，以提供知识转让和培训，从而产生持久的影响。通过将能力正规化为可在其他地方应用的工具，并采取行动促进其传播，将最大限度地扩大方案的遗产。

"Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to Public Health in the UK" [DEFRA, 2017]. Air pollution in the West Midlands affects some 2.8 million people, reducing average life expectancy by up to 6 months, and is responsible for economic costs estimated at £860m per year. Air quality is therefore a key priority for local and regional government, and increasingly the general public, with further emphasis arising from the "Diesel-gate" emissions scandal, and ongoing High Court challenges to the Government's Air Quality strategy.Historically, local air quality policy has been the responsibility of the individual Local Authorities. However, air pollution does not respect political boundaries, and the 2016 formation of the West Midlands Combined Authority will lead to an integrated approach to air pollution, under the Second Devolution Deal for the West Midlands (2017). In parallel, the NHS Sustainability Transformation Trust is bringing an integrated approach to health and social care provision - with air quality a core priority. This gives rise to a unique and timely opportunity to translate environmental science research expertise into regional policy and interventions to reduce air pollution.The University of Birmingham group has critical mass, international research expertise and NERC track record in air pollution, and its health and economic impacts. We have a history of links with regional partners, ranging from commissioned work and joint research projects to informal collaborations. Accordingly, we have developed the West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme (WMAQIP), through a co-design process alongside regional stakeholders including the WMCA / Mayor of the West Midlands, Local Authorities, private companies, industry sector bodies and third sector organisations, to deliver:-Situational awareness (understanding of air pollution levels and sources), e.g. applied to refinement of the Birmingham Clean Air Zone and design of future interventions in Coventry, avoiding over £5m annual costs plus benefits to visitors / commuters working in the cities.-Predictive Capability to evaluate AQ policy options, in comparison with business as usual predictions, for pollution levels, health and economic impacts - identifying interventions to achieve Birmingham City Council's goal of halving AQ-related mortality by 2030 (750 deaths/yr and £170m annual costs avoided); avoiding additional healthcare costs of £600m required under business-as-usual scenarios, and informing allocation of recurrent and one-off intra-city transport investment of £250m.-Application of the resulting capability to specific policy scenarios - including infrastructure design around the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games to deliver improved air quality, understanding the air quality consequences of future vehicle fleet evolution to electric vehicles, and optimising air quality co-benefits from green infrastructure for HS2 development. WMAQIP directly addresses the UK Industrial Strategy grand challenge of Clean Growth, which commits the Government to "create a future where our cities benefit from cleaner air", and the Infrastructure foundation of productivity, which identifies a determination to "tackle air pollution and support affected areas, given the significant negative impact it has on public health, the economy and the environment." WMAQIP combines NERC research expertise with direct inputs from a range of partner organisations. The programme will deliver policy impact from application of environmental science applied to specific policy priorities through a cohort of Impact Fellows, physically embedded within stakeholder organisations to provide knowledge transfer and training, and hence lasting impact. Programme legacy will be maximised by formalising capabilities as tools which may be applied elsewhere, and actions to promote their dissemination.