Environment and health

Overview

Air pollution has a negative impact on human health and exposure to it affects 100% of the population, from unborn babies to the elderly. Over the course of our lives, air pollution exposure can reduce life expectancy, damage the lungs, increase asthma incidence and lead to other chronic respiratory diseases.

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) believes that citizens have a right to breathe clean air to protect lung health and reduce the risk of worsening of disease among people with a lung condition.

400,000

premature deaths every year are caused by outdoor air pollution in Europe.

50%

of the world’s population are exposed to indoor air pollution from open fires and wood-burning cooking stoves and it causes up to 1.5 million premature deaths globally each year.

15-20%

of COPD cases are due to exposures to airborne pollutants in the workplace.

ERS Environment and Health Committee members

Ulrike Gehring

Chair of the ERS Environment and Health Committee

Learn about the committee

Objectives of the policy:

Lowering thresholds of acceptable levels of air pollution across Europe and stricter enforcement of existing EU legislation.
The introduction of limits on exposure to air pollution in occupational settings, such as workplaces, at the European level.
Highlighting the need for further research to fully understand the impact of exposure to a variety of pollutants on human health.

Activities:

Advising ERS in all matters regarding the impact of environmental factors on respiratory health.
Providing information on preventing and managing environment-related respiratory disease to respiratory and occupational clinicians and researchers; environmental health researchers; epidemiologists; and toxicologists.
Helping to improve respiratory health in Europe and elsewhere by providing evidence-based recommendations and information to policymakers and the public.
Supporting the development and implementation of the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines.

Upcoming events

Learn more about upcoming events hosted or led by the ERS Environment and Health Committee.

Natural disasters, climate change and their impact on respiratory health

Throughout 2025, the ERS Environment and Health Committee will host a series of events and activities that explore ways that policy recommendations can be made relating to the increasing threat posed to respiratory health by natural disasters and climate change.

Learn more about upcoming events relating to this topic.

04 June, 2025

Online

See the latest updates from the ERS Environment and Health Committee

Find out more

Meet Prof. Ulrike Gehring - ERS Environment and Health Committee Chair

Clean air for healthy lungs – an urgent call to action: ERS position on the launch of the WHO 2021 Air Quality Guidelines

Resources

EU Healthy Air Coalition letter: Health sector ready to support swift transposition of new AAQD

ERS, ELF and Lungs Europe response to the Call for Evidence “EU environmental law – 2025 implementation review”

ISEE/ERS/ATS letter to NASA

EU Healthy Air Coalition welcomes European Parliament vote for cleaner air and better health

Targeted consultation on the evaluation of the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive

Urgent call to ensure clean air for all in Europe, fight health inequalities and oppose delays in action

European Respiratory Society input to the European Chemicals Agency consultation on PFAS

COP28: climate crisis is a health crisis, say scientific, medical, public health and patient representation organisations and experts

Clean air in Europe: no delay, no exemptions, no more pollution – an ERS/ELF position statement

Climate change and respiratory health: an ERS position statement (free to access via the European Respiratory Journal)

ERS/ELF submission to the European Commission’s consultation on EU climate target for 2040

ERS/ISEE statement urging immediate action to mitigate the health effects of climate change

ERS Response to Consultation - EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (2023)

Clean air for healthy lungs – an urgent call to action: ERS position on the launch of the WHO 2021 Air Quality Guidelines

ERS position statement on asthma and the environment

Air pollution and health: facts and myths

Other policy areas

EU policies and research

Tobacco control

Non-communicable diseases

European Lung Foundation (ELF)

In partnership with ERS, the European Lung Foundation brings patients and the public together with healthcare professionals to improve lung health and advance diagnosis treatment and care.

Visit the ELF website

In the news

News

ERS and health community partners call for immediate action on air pollution

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is encouraging respiratory professionals, including its members, to play their part in cutting air pollution levels by signing an online World Health Organization (WHO) call to action which aims to ensure safe, clean air for all.

News

COP28: ERS welcomes progress but calls for action on health effects of climate change

ERS welcomes the progress made during the COP28 meeting and the outcomes of the first global stocktake, but expresses deep concern and disappointment over the summit’s failure to commit to a full phase out of fossil fuels and its wider implications for health.

News

FIRS: Eradicating HIV will take collaborative action and a commitment to curb TB infections

On World AIDS Day, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies states that eradicating HIV will take collaborative action and a commitment to curb TB infections.