National Clean Air Day Thursday 15th June 2023
Every year air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK. The World Health Organisation, the UK Government and QHS recognise that air pollution is one of the largest environmental health risk we face today. Poor air quality causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight and children’s lung development and may even contribute to mental health issues.
Clean Air Day is the UK's largest air pollution campaign, engaging thousands of people at hundreds of events, and reaching millions more through the media. QHS endorses the fact that reducing air pollution is good for business because ultimately it is good for both people’s health and the environment, and takes actions via its Senior Management, its environmentally friendly policies and the QHS Green Team to back this up.
In line with this in 2021 QHS bought 12 all-electric vehicles, then in January 2023 QHS moved all members of staff at it's head office staff who worked on the ground floor up to the 1st floor in order to reduce QHS's carbon emissions, whilst at the same time cutting down its heating and lighting costs. In addition early in 2023 the company carried out a programme to replace all the electric light bulbs at their head offices with low energy LED “daylight” energy saving fittings. Also, by February 2023 QHS permanently moved away from having monthly paper payslips to issuing these to all staff by email.
Tackling air pollution aligns with corporate efforts to address climate change and attempts to meet net zero, as well as generating cost savings, and providing another means to pursue innovative new ways of working, which are cleaner and greener. Such progressive actions chime with potential new recruits, customers and investors, demonstrating that such companies like QHS are progressive, future-thinking, and part of the solution to the global air pollution crisis.
Acting on air pollution has tangible positive benefits to people’s health and the environment immediately, so QHS supports the collective proactive action needed to ensure the air we breathe is cleaner and better for us all now and for future generations, as evidenced by our Environmental Policy ,QHS’s Green Team and our Green Credentials
