Greater London Authority select new air quality monitoring network in the fight against toxic air

Clarity Movement Co. have announced that its air quality monitoring network air quality monitoring technology was selected to power the next phase of the Breathe London project. The selection comes through a partnership with Imperial College, London a pioneering university with a research arm specialising in air pollution that is responsible for managing the London Air Quality Network (LAQN), one of the densest and most advanced metropolitan monitoring networks in the world.

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues said, “This is a major milestone for the Mayor’s world-leading Breathe London sensor network. Giving Londoners the opportunity to see the levels of pollution in their local area will improve awareness and help people reduce their exposure. It will also help City Hall, TfL [Transport for London], and the boroughs better target efforts on improving air quality and contributing to a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. We hope the success of this scheme and its innovative use of clean technology will act as a blueprint for cities around the world to battle their own toxic air emergencies.”

Clarity’s technology will be used in the fight against London’s toxic air, giving local communities access to affordable and reliable air quality data at scale. Initially, more than 100 low-cost air quality sensors will be installed at London hospitals, schools, and other sensitive locations to complement London’s existing high-quality reference-grade monitors and to enable real-time measurement of ambient air pollution at the neighbourhood level.

“Air pollution is often described as an invisible killer. To optimise solutions it is imperative local communities are empowered with actionable data in real-time,” said Dr. Gary Fuller, air pollution scientist, Imperial College London. “The Breathe London project makes London the first city to holistically integrate low-cost sensors with existing air quality infrastructure. We are excited to be partnering with Clarity who will provide hardware and software to measure local air quality that is significantly lower cost and far easier to deploy than traditional equipment. A key strength of the Breathe London project will be at our new data centre, at White City in west London, where traditional and new lower-cost sensor data will be combined to provide Londoners with some of the highest-resolution air quality data in the world.”

Breathe London is funded by the Mayor of London and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Installation of the new network of Clarity air sensors will be completed in tranches starting in January 2021, with full deployment of the publicly-funded sensors expected by June 2021. The network will continue to expand through community funding initiatives, coordinated by Imperial College London.

“We are proud to partner with Breathe London to offer affordable air monitoring technology to London communities, and we are confident that this project represents a blueprint for governments across the globe who are working to pursue their own sustainability initiatives amidst rising air pollution and ongoing budget challenges,” said Meiling Gao, COO, Clarity Movement Co. “Clarity can be the technology partner to help governments worldwide push forward despite budgetary constraints and deploy modern air quality monitoring networks that serve and empower the local community.”