RCP London Events staged the Summit in the Dorchester Library, bringing together campaigners, public-health officials and policymakers to review progress since the inaugural 2022 meeting and to discuss next steps on air-quality policy and practice. The event followed the Royal College of Physicians’ recent report A breath of fresh air: responding to the health challenges of modern air pollution, published by the RCP to inform government, regulators, industry and the health sector.

Report findings, speakers and policy recommendations

The RCP report, cited at the Summit, links air pollution to impacts across the life course. It estimates around 30,000 attributable deaths per year in the UK and an economic cost of up to £50 billion while highlighting concerns about indoor air quality. It offers 19 targeted recommendations to reduce these impacts. Speakers at the Summit included Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah CBE, Professor Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer for England), Professor Kevin Fenton (Regional Public Health Director for London) and Emma Hardy MP (Minister for Water and Flooding, DEFRA). Delegates reviewed progress since 2022 and discussed collective measures to reduce exposure.