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TfGM has been awarded over £500,000 from government as part of a wider £11.6 million invested in initiatives to combat air pollution nationwide.
The government’s Air Quality Grants have been awarded across England to fund local projects for cleaner air. The funding helps councils develop and implement measures to benefit schools, businesses and communities and reduce the impact of dirty air on people’s health. More than double the funding awarded in 2021 has been made available for this year’s grant.
In Greater Manchester, TfGM, working with the city-region’s ten local authorities, has received £573,956 which will fund monitoring systems to measure levels of airborne particulates as well as to deliver campaigns in the community to improve understanding of the harms of poor air quality and influence behaviour. The scheme is independent of the city-region wide Clean Air Zone, which is focused specifically on reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide gas emitted by vehicles, rather than air pollution as a whole.
Agri-innovation and Climate Adaptation Minister Jo Churchill said of the Air Quality Grant awards:
“Air pollution is the single biggest environmental risk to public health. It has reduced significantly since 2010, but we know there is more to do, which is why we have doubled the amount of funding awarded this year to help local authorities take vital action.
“The projects supported by this latest round of funding include innovative local schemes to boost the use of green transport, increase monitoring of fine particulate matter – the most harmful pollutant to human health – and improve awareness of the risks of poor air quality around schools and in care homes.
“Local authorities are best placed to find solutions to the issues they face in their areas, and we will continue to work closely with them and offer support to help deliver real change in cleaning up our air.”