A breath of fresh air: sharing air quality knowledge across continents

This year, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at York is holding its Annual Seminar in association with the International Development Network (IDN) and York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI). We invite you to join us for A breath of fresh air: sharing air quality knowledge across continents, the first of four Environment Department Open Lectures.

Air quality has experienced a rapid rise in public awareness in recent years and has seen a corresponding rise up the political agenda in the UK and Europe. The keynote talk in this session will look at how the policy response - local, national and continental (European) - has been based on scientific evidence, but also how the ‘correct’ response is not always clear or easy. How do we deal with local versus international impacts or diesel cars and air pollution versus petrol cars and CO2? What are the win-wins? And how are impacts differentiated across different members of our society?

A panel discussion will then explore the fact that Africa will face some of the most substantial air quality challenges globally over the coming decade. On the face of it there might be leapfrogging opportunities for development and technological transfer, but there are also social costs and resistance to change, including competing political needs. What are the biggest challenges involved in transferring technology, ideas and policies about air quality from one context to another? Who is in the conversation currently, and who else is needed?

The event will be followed by a drinks reception offering participants an opportunity to talk to our speakers informally.

Find out more and register for free»