Clean air congress

Richard Macrory, Professor of Environmental Law at UCL and President of the National Society for Clean Air & Environmental Protection (NSCA), and Lord Hunt, Professor of Climate Modelling at UCL and Vice-President of NSCA, will take lead roles in the opening and closing ceremonies of the congress, which runs 22-27 August 2004.

Around 400 delegates from independent environmental organisations from around the globe will attend the event, and about 400 scientific papers will be delivered across many aspects of air pollution and climate change. On the fourth day of the congress, Professor Macrory will lead a 'side' conference looking at modern environmental regulation. The conference is held in conjunction with the Environment Agency and UCL's Centre for Law & the Environment.

Professor Macrory explained that although the level of industrial emissions and emissions such as basic smoke and dust particles from coal has gone down, other air pollution issues have risen to the fore: "Car emissions in particular have increased - although fumes from individual cars are lower now, there are just far more vehicles on the road. Another issue that concerns environmentalists is exactly how climate change is interacting with air pollutants. Even if there are fewer emissions overall, a warmer climate could be rendering these more harmful. Many of the academic papers delivered at the conference will help to answer these questions."

In the years to come, countries across the globe will need to respond to the environmental challenges of air pollution, said Professor Macrory: "What will come out of this conference is the need for tighter clean air policy and legislation, governing both industry and individuals. Many of the delegates to the conference represent local governments around the world, and I think in many countries it will be local or regional authorities that spearhead environmental improvements rather than central governments."

To find out more about Professor Macrory or the World Clean Air Congress, use the links below.

Link:
Professor Macrory
World Clean Air Congress