Residents in Peterborough are being encouraged to get cycling or walking to help reduce air pollution as part of Clean Air Day 2022.

The national initiative, which aims to raise public understanding about air pollution and how it affects people’s health, takes place on Thursday 16 June. As part of the campaign, people are encouraged to makes pledges for cleaner air.

The theme for this year's Clean Air Day is Air pollution dirties every organ in your body. Take steps to improve your health and is geared towards getting people exercising outdoors. Residents are also urged to talk to others about the harms of air pollution and ask local and national decision makers to promote cleaner air.

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Council members and staff will be making their own pledges on Clean Air Day and encouraging residents to do the same – look out for posts on our social media accounts for inspiring examples of pledges.

Meanwhile, the authority is developing several strategies aimed at protecting the environment and improving public health including the following:

• Making the council's activities net-zero carbon by 2030 and supporting the city to achieve the same.

• Encouraging cycling and walking through successful schemes such as School Streets, Voi bikes and cycling training.

• Replacing all council vehicles with low carbon vehicles including the Mayor's car, providing electric vehicle charging points across the city – Peterborough now has one of the highest electric vehicle ownership rates in the UK.

• Promoting the use of environmentally friendly fuels – our highways contractor Milestone now uses HVO instead of diesel across its fleet.