3.1 Key facts and sources of information

Key facts

• Particulate matter and nitrous oxides contribute to around 40,000 air pollution-related deaths per year in the UK. 
• Physical inactivity is responsible for 1 in 6 deaths in the UK and costs the UK £7.4bn annually, including £0.9bn to the NHS alone. Active travel can help promote better health by increasing levels of physical activity
• Poor quality housing costs the NHS £1.4bn a year, £857m of which is caused by excess cold.
• Access to and spending time in green space helps lower anxiety levels.
• Stress and anxiety amongst young people living in urban areas are reduced by 14%-19% after a 15-minute walk in a park or by 23%-31% by a 15-minute walk in a forest. Young people with high levels of vegetation within 500m of their home have reduced risk of depression and anxiety.
• Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and flooding, have significant health impacts. UK heatwaves in summer 2020 resulted in an estimated 2,556 excess deaths (not including those caused by COVID-19).
• If the average dietary intake in the UK complied with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 17% could be achieved.
• The Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget analysis reported that the health benefits of active travel, uptake of low-carbon vehicles and a shift towards less meat-intensive diets could generate combined annual benefits of over 0.6% GDP.