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

Zorana J. Andersen

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.

See the latest updates from the ERS Environment and Health Committee

Find out more

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

Meet Prof. Zorana J. Andersen - ERS Environment and Health Committee Chair

Resources

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

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

AAQD joint letter from health groups to EU Environment Council - December 2023

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

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.

News

COP28: climate crisis is a health crisis, say scientific and health-focused organisations and experts

A group of more than 60 medical, public health and scientific societies, patient representative organisations and experts have called for decision makers at COP28 to prioritise action to mitigate but also adapt to the health effects of climate change, to prepare societies and communities for a ‘much more complex future’.