EMISSIONS & AIR QUALITY Smart Class 2H 2019

“WM-Air: Clean Air Science for the West Midlands” – WM-Air (the West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme) is a new 5-year NERC-funded project to apply existing environmental science expertise to deliver regional impact – in economic, societal and policy terms – in support of improved air quality and health. The project draws down research expertise and links this to user organisations, ranging from the Combined Authority and Local Authorities to SMEs and industry bodies. This opening keynote from William Bloss, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Birmingham, will give a perspective on current and future regional urban air quality, and introduce the WM-Air project and Key foci, including work on new measurements of air quality, emissions and sensor development; prediction of future air quality scenarios, and case studies of applications within WM-Air, through a cohort of embedded Impact Fellows working within partner organisations.

“The Key to Achieving Long-Term Sustainable Benefits for Transport” – Transportation is responsible for large volumes of carbon and air quality emissions in the UK. Recent strategies to reduce the emissions from the sector have focussed on a mass switch over to low and zero emissions drive train technologies such as bio-diesel, gas and electric. Whilst such solutions directly reduce the emissions of the sector, decarbonisation is not a panacea for the negative externalities of transport sector. As our understanding of the science and engineering relating to carbon and air quality emissions from transportation develops it is becoming apparent that a more holistic approach is required to address the direct and in-direct impacts of the sector. This presentation from Eunomia Research & Consulting will provide: a brief overview of the carbon and air quality issues in transportation affecting local authorities; present two core strategies for mitigating the impacts of transportation-based emissions, providing specific soft and hard solutions that are available to Local Authorities; and, the next steps which are required to move forwards. Their discussions will also focus on: identifying the key issues within local authorities relating transport-based emissions; opportunities, and potential barriers to the implementation of solutions amongst local authorities; identifying the stakeholders who should be included in emissions reducing transportation solutions.

“Putting Air Quality Data to Work – Opportunities and Challenges of Fine-Grained Spatial and Temporal Air Quality Information” – The notion of air quality data-based decision making in health management, city and traffic planning is nothing new but what is required now, more than ever before, is a clear tie-up of technology with end-user need. IoT-based technologies promise to merge both digital and physical worlds by transcending spatial and temporal barriers. To use these technologies combined with information from satellites and other measurement methods for better understanding urban air quality is self-evident. However, this approach does not come without its limitations: Questions on data reliability, accuracy, rights-of-use and commercial applicability arise. This presentation from Hawa Dawa’s CEO and co-founder will discuss the opportunities and challenges of combining low-cost sensors with earth observations in predicting comprehensive air quality information in urban centres. The focus will then be on demonstrating concrete, clear and practical applications of air quality data in everyday processes. Finally, the talk will present an outlook for future developments in this field and demonstrate ways in which collaboration could shape the future of Environmental IoT (EIOT).

“Breathing Life Into Cities: Combining Plants and Innovation to Process Air Pollution” – What is air pollution comprised of and how can smart horticultural content of urban greening solutions help? What do specifiers have to be aware of when incorporating ‘green’ into cities? What research is being undertaken to maximise the benefits of plants in the built environment? Scotscape guide clients and specifiers to place the correct plant in the correct location using the correct method. Working with Dr Ross Cameron at Sheffield University they are putting his learnings into action with the Woodland Living Wall which contains the best woody plants for trapping gases and the best plants to trap particulate matter. As innovative landscape construction specialists, Scotscape have also developed the Smart Pillar, a greening method to clad existing green infrastructure with plants, where it is not possible to plant trees owing to underground surfaces and maintenance cost to councils. The Smart Pillar trial is located on London’s Ebury Street as part of the Grosvenor Estate. Niall’s presentation will also highlight the state of internal air pollution as being crucial to wellbeing in cities, explain how plants in office spaces and homes bring big benefits, and discuss CO2 in the workplace, VOCs and how they impact on health, citing Cundall’s research into this issue. Application of Scotscape’s research will be demonstrated in his final case study of Team London Bridge Living Wall at Guys and St Thomas’s.

“The Air that We Breathe: Enabling Hyper-Local Air Quality Monitoring with Emerging Technologies” – Government and local authorities globally are coming under increasing legislative pressure to better monitor air quality, and to deploy and actively manage ‘clean air zones’ across our cities. By 2050 a huge populations shift will have resulted in 70% of the world’s populations living in urban areas. This seismic shift is driving Smart City initiatives globally. 44% of UK councils currently do not have fit-for-purpose air and pollution monitoring capabilities (The Independent, 2017). With a more stringent government Air Quality Plan about to come into force, councils face significant fines if they are not compliant. Welsh tech company Vortex IoT will deliver a thought-provoking view of the importance of the ‘Air that We Breathe’, and explain how emerging technologies and innovation will contribute to our ever-changing societal needs and how developing a new Hyper-Local Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) solution can provide revenue-generating opportunities for local authorities and play a key role in the creation of new urban business models that are essential as the shape of our towns and cities changes over time.

“Connected Coventry, City of Culture and Innovation – Using Technology to Tackle Air Quality” – Outside of London, the West Midlands conurbation suffers the most extensive exceedances of the EU annual Limit Value for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in the UK, affecting a population of 122,396. Based on national estimates, vehicle emissions account for up to 630 premature deaths in the West Midlands each year and local authority research demonstrates that emissions from road transport are the principal source of elevated concentrations of NO2 and airborne particles such as PM10. Lying proximate to the West Midlands conurbation, and, after Birmingham, the second largest city in the West Midlands region, Coventry is going to be the cultural hub of the UK in 2021 as it becomes the UK City of Culture, and then in 2022 hosts events at the Commonwealth Games. At the same time, the city is facing significant transport challenges, and is looking to a wide range of transport technological advances to overcome these, such as the innovative Very Light Rail system and making the city ready for the widespread uptake of electric vehicles. The Council is also under Government Direction to improve air quality in the city and the action plan to achieve this is currently in development for implementation over the next few years. Around 80,000 people live in the central part of the city most affected by high NO2 levels, and 30,000 people work there, so any action plan needs to take account of the social and economic impacts on residents and businesses. This keynote from Coventry City Council’s Air Quality Programme Manager will address the transport and air quality challenges facing the city, the work being done to identify the most appropriate solutions, and the ways in which new technology can be harnessed to deliver a safe and sustainable transport system within the city.

“Innovation in Homes and the Pressing Indoor Air Quality Challenge” – We spend up to 90% of our time indoors, so it is unsurprising that poor indoor air quality is beginning to be recognised as a serious emerging public health crisis. The Royal College of Physicians warns that poor indoor air is responsible for thousands of deaths and healthcare costs in the order of tens of millions of pounds per year. As new and retrofitted homes continue to embrace innovation to become ever more airtight and energy efficient, due consideration needs to be given to quality of the air inside our homes and buildings. In this closing keynote, BEAMA presents the case for action and the role of ventilation technologies in delivering healthy air in the modern home environment.