Recording available:
Environmental Justice. Air pollution as a key driver of health inequalities — What can Berlin learn from London?
Access to environmental resources and exposure to environmental burdens varies significantly across different parts of a city. In Berlin, the Environmental Justice Report shows that people with lower socio-economic status are more likely to live in neighbourhoods with higher thermal burden, poorer air quality, more noise pollution, and less access to green spaces. Similarly, studies in London reveal that air pollution – the largest environmental risk to human health – disproportionately affects certain population groups.
The key difference: while this issue still receives limited attention in Germany, London has acknowledged the problem and is taking action. The Mayor of London has made clean air a top priority and is pursuing targeted air quality measures – with the stated aim of implementing “the world’s boldest and most ambitious plan to tackle air pollution”.
What can Berlin and other German cities learn from London’s approach?
Together with Shirley Rodrigues (former London Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy between 2016 and 2024 and Board Member of C40 Cities) and Prof. Dr. habil. Heike Köckler (Professor on Social Space and Health at the Department of Community Health, Bochum University of Applied Sciences Health Campus) we explored how London has achieved such significant improvements in air quality, what lessons German cities can draw from this experience, and how to better protect population groups disproportionately affected by air pollution.
Watch the recording here:
Assesing governance for climate change and health: An exploratory approach” was the 21st event of the CPHP webinar series ‘Planetary Health Dialogues’, a monthly exchange with German and international scientists, policy makers and civil society actors to jointly develop ideas for a paradigm shift towards equity, health and well-being within planetary boundaries