Air pollution campaign: Crowdfunding launched for hard-hitting adverts to change behaviours towards toxic air

An air pollution awareness campaign in the style of the Green Cross Code is set to launch this year in response to the “void” left after the closure of the government’s Central Office of Information in 2011.

New campaign group, Central Office of Public Interest (COPI), hope to make the public more aware of the “severity” of the air pollution problem, and the actions they can take to reduce their exposure.

Teaming up with scientists at King’s College London, who advise the Mayor’s office on air pollution levels, they hope their campaign adverts will have a credibility akin to the ones produced by the government.

Humphrey Milles, founder of COPI, told Future London: “We need to be drawing attention to things on how we can behave and acts in ways better for all of us. Air pollution is a big one, but it doesn’t feel like anyone is trying to deal with it.”

He says the adverts will be “solution-led” to “give people the tools to act purposefully to see what they can do to mitigate these problems and change their own behaviour,” and focus on key issues such as idling vehicles.

The campaign will also be accompanied by a link to check the air pollution levels across the country, so viewers can understand what the issues are where they live.

It comes as the environmental charity Global Action Plan revealed 65 per cent of adults do not know who to turn to for information and advice about air pollution.

The research, generated by their new quarterly Clean Air Public Insight Tracker also showed that 92 per cent of adults think that reducing air quality should be a priority for the UK.

Although the Mayor of London’s office created a social media and poster campaign “if you could see London’s air, you’d want to clean it too,” COPI hope to spread the message across the country in the style of the old public information adverts.

“A nationwide campaign would make air pollution impossible to ignore, and really push it into the mainstream of public awareness,” said Milles.

Public Health England do not currently have an air pollution campaign, but Sheila Mitchell, director of marketing, said their activity “is underpinned by audience insight and deploys cutting-edge behavioural science and innovative digital techniques.”

She added: “Our flagship social marketing campaigns have successfully changed behaviour at scale across a wide range of public health priorities, including smoking cessation, childhood obesity, earlier diagnosis of cancer and stroke.”

COPI’s new advertising campaign is now running a public crowdfunding page to raise £100,000 for the costs of the outdoor and online adverts due to appear in May.

It has raised £25,000 since its launch two weeks ago.

The group released their last campaign in May last year warning of the dangers air pollution poses to children. It featured the voice of Sophie Ellis-Bextor and music from Ed Harcourt.

“This is something that affects all of us, and this is why a movement is needed within the industry to draw attention to it.

“It’s a blight on our lives,” said Milles.