Progress in delivering clean air for Birmingham - January 2026
Next steps for the Clean Air Strategy
The Clean Air Strategy will be reviewed and updated for publication in 2026. The update will reflect the latest evidence on the impact of air pollution on health and will draw on the findings of the Air Quality Health Needs Assessment, which is due to conclude in summer 2026.
The refreshed srategy will be shaped by input from partners across the city, including:
- other council services
- community organisations
- the West Midlands Combined Authority
- neighbouring local authorities
- anchor institutions such as the NHS and universities.
It will continue to align with statutory responsibilities and with wider policies for transport, climate change, public health, nature and net zero.
The strategy will remain a live document that is reviewed every 18 to 24 months to ensure it continues to provide clear direction and responds to emerging issues.
Links with net zero and nature recovery
The UK’s Climate Change Act requires the country to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Reducing emissions from transport and the built environment supports both decarbonisation and air quality improvement.
Heat decarbonisation programmes across Birmingham, including work on domestic buildings and the development of heat network zoning, will help reduce reliance on fossil fuel heating.
The council’s City of Nature ambitions, including increasing tree canopy cover and improving green spaces, also support better air quality and wider environmental and wellbeing benefits.
Focus areas for the updated strategy
The updated strategy will:
- be ambitious
- address air quality challenges not covered by existing transport legislation or initiatives
- recognise the continued areas of exceedance within the city
- respond to new and emerging issues, legislation and targets
A key shift will be an increased focus on particulate matter and indoor air quality. This will be embedded in the council’s wider work on sustainability.
The strategy will focus on people’s experience of air quality, not only their exposure. It will emphasise citizen action, engagement and support to help residents change their habits, including how they use public transport, heat their homes and travel to school and work.
The updated strategy will give particular attention to:
- particulate matter sources such as construction sites, wood burning and trains
- joint working and consistent messaging on air quality
- citizen action, engagement and enablement
- sharing best practice across the West Midlands and beyond
Page last updated: 30 January 2026