IMechE response to Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2022 on air pollution

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers welcomes the Chief Medical Officer’s Report which emphasises the need to improve outdoor and indoor air quality, especially in more densely populated urban areas.

Engineering expertise will be key to reducing air pollution, which will reap health and broader benefits for society.

Matt Rooney, Head of Policy at the IMechE, said:

“The pandemic has shone a light on the issue of indoor air quality. Good ventilation and air sanitisation technology can reduce airborne disease transmission, but there are wider benefits. 

Air pollution is associated with an increase in prevalence of a range of negative health effects, as well as reduced ability to concentrate. Air quality is therefore particularly important in our schools.

As we in the engineering community implement solutions to reduce pollution and improve air quality, we must do so in an energy efficient and cost-effective manner. In solving one problem – air pollution – we do not want to make solving others – decarbonisation and the cost of living – more difficult.”

We are proud that our members co-authored the Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Solutions chapter in the report.

The members are:

• Andrew Fraser, Chair of the Automobile Division, Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
• Steve Sapsford, Chair of the Powertrain Systems & Fuels Group, Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
• Benjamin Parry, Board Member, Railway Division, Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Helen Meese, Chair of our Biomedical Engineering Division and Andrew Fraser represented IMechE at an initial round table held to inform the report which was organised by the National Engineering Policy Centre via the Royal Academy of Engineering. 

You can find a link to the Chief Medical Officer’s 2022 report here.

To learn about our previous work on engineering solutions for COVID-19 resilience, visit our Pandemic Infection Control Solutions webpage.