South Gloucestershire Council

Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022: Clean Air and Climate Change

The director of public health annual reports provide a commentary on local health issues based on the latest data. It is part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which sets out a requirement for all directors of public health to produce an annual independent report on the health of their local population and for their local authority to publish it. The purpose of these reports are to raise awareness and understanding of local health issues, highlight areas of specific concern and make recommendations for change.

The 2022 Director of Public Health annual report focuses on clean air and climate change.

About the report:

Although both clean air and climate change are influenced by factors beyond the borders of South Gloucestershire, the impact of it is felt in our local populations at all ages and in our coastal and rural communities as well as our urban ones.

The Director of Public Health’s Annual Report looks at what we know about improving air quality and combatting climate change in South Gloucestershire, what we are already doing, and the ways we might be able to contribute individually and collectively as we plan for the future.

What it means:

South Gloucestershire declared a Climate and Nature Emergency in 2019 and a Clean Air Strategy and Action Plan is in development. Protecting the health of our communities through prioritising clean air and climate breakdown requires a radical rethinking of the way we all work and live.

We can all make changes on an individual level but collectively we can transform our local community by reducing pollutants, protecting and restoring our natural capital, and making our area more resilient to climate breakdown.

This report can be used to help to raise awareness of and prioritise local action on clean air and climate change.

View the 2022 DPH report