Why we took our fight for clean air and racial justice directly to No 10 – Inside track

This post is by L’myah Sherae, CEO of Enact Equality.

On 19 May 2025, I wrote a letter to the prime minister and hand delivered it to No10 Downing Street. It wasn’t a symbolic gesture. It was an urgent call for leadership, a demand for justice on an issue that is harming lives, yet remains woefully under-reported: the disproportionate impact of air pollution on people of colour and low income communities in the UK.

At Enact Equality, we are often asked: why focus on air pollution? The answer is simple. Because access to clean air shouldn’t depend on your postcode or the colour of your skin. And when you start looking at who is being denied that access, you see a pattern that cannot be ignored.

Air pollution is a public health crisis. But it is also a racial justice crisis. A social justice crisis. The data makes that clear.

People of colour are disproportionately impacted
Research from the University of York shows that the most deprived communities are more likely to live in areas with the highest levels of pollution. With over 50 per cent of Black families in the UK living in poverty and deprived areas, it’s clear that Black communities are disproportionately exposed to some of the worst air. A staggering 20 per cent of the country’s most deprived neighbourhoods are home to one third of all waste incinerators; and nearly half of all incinerators are situated in areas where people of colour make up a high proportion of the population. This is not an environmental anomaly. It is structural inequality in action.

Earlier this year, we hosted a parliamentary event titled ‘Toxic air and social justice: the unequal burden of air pollution’. The response was overwhelming: more than 200 people packed into the room, and over 100 more had to be turned away due to capacity limits. People came because they were tired, tired of being ignored, tired of the injustice and tired of waiting for the government to act.

In London, for example, Black children are over four per cent more likely to be hospitalised due to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) exposure than anywhere else in the country. This toxic pollutant is closely linked to asthma. From 2021 to 2022, half of all childhood asthma hospitalisations in the city were among Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. These numbers aren’t abstract, they represent children missing school, families overwhelmed and communities whose health is being sacrificed.

Parliamentarians support more action
We’re facing a critical moment for change. That is why our work is imperative, and why the political momentum behind it is growing. Nearly 40 MPs and peers have now signed our pledge to champion the voices of those hit hardest by air pollution. Our petition has over 500 signatures, the majority from racially diverse communities. Parliamentarians, such as Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Siân Berry MP and Baroness Jenny Jones have all spoken out in support.

We also conducted a national survey involving nearly 800 people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK. The results were striking:

• 72 per cent wanted more investment in greener, cleaner transport.
• 66 per cent wanted greater access to green spaces and nature.
• 66 per cent wanted support to help people and businesses switch to cleaner vehicles.
• 59 per cent wanted tougher laws and clearer targets to clean up our air.

The message from communities is clear: we need action, not lip service. That’s why we went straight to No 10 Downing Street.

We’re calling on the prime minister to take bold and immediate measures, not only to tackle air pollution, but to ensure that environmental policy is shaped by the people most affected. For too long, those communities have been treated as an afterthought. That has to change.

Environmental injustice is not inevitable. It is the result of political choices. And it can be undone by political will. Our entire team at Enact Equality is proud to stand with the communities fighting for their right to breathe clean air. We are here to amplify their voices, campaign for stronger laws and demand better from those in power.

We went to No10 because we believe the prime minister needs to hear us, and not just listen, but act. Because every child deserves to grow up in a safe, healthy environment. Tackling air pollution isn’t optional, it’s urgent, and it’s overdue.