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Is your council ready for WHO-aligned air quality targets by 2030?
Stricter WHO guidelines and evolving UK air quality standards will require local authorities to demonstrate better data coverage, clearer evidence, and more transparent reporting.
This page explains what is changing – and how councils can prepare in a practical, proportionate way.
- Technology provider for the Breathe London programme
- MCERTS-certified indicative air quality monitoring
- Supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Transport Technology Framework
Download the Air Quality
Readiness Guide 2030 (PDF)
Check your council’s 2030
readiness
What changes for local authorities by 2030?
WHO air quality guidelines
The World Health Organization is halving the recommended PM2.5 annual limit – from 10 µg/m³ to 5 µg/m³.
This 50% tightening means that air previously seen as acceptable will soon be recognised as harmful, raising the bar for national and local action.
UK councils obligations
Local authorities remain responsible for:
- Local Air Quality Management (LAQM)
- Air Quality Action Plans (AQAPs)
- Informing the public about air quality risks and mitigation measures.
Future policy updates are expected to increase the emphasis on evidence, transparency, and spatial coverage.
The operational gap
Fixed reference stations provide high-quality data, but they cannot capture:
- Neighbourhood-level variation
- Exposure around schools, playgrounds, and busy roads
- The local impact of interventions and traffic measures.
Small sensors fill this gap with near-reference accuracy, real-time minute-by-minute data, and 1 km coverage. They create an early-warning system for pollution spikes and emission sources.
See what data councils will be expected to provide
Why waiting creates risk
Key risks for councils include:
Reduced protection for vulnerable communities
Inability to demonstrate timely action for vulnerable groups, including children and residents with existing respiratory conditions.
Increased scrutiny and reputational exposure
Greater public, media, and stakeholders' scrutiny when data is limited or actions cannot be clearly evidenced.
Weak evidence for policy and investment decisions
Limited data to support transport planning, development control, or the evaluation of clean air measures.
Higher long-term costs and rushed compliance
Increased future costs when monitoring, reporting and readiness are addressed late rather than planned.
Air quality compliance is no longer only an environmental concern. It is a governance, transparency, and risk-management issue.
Where indicative air quality measurements fit
– legally and practically
What are indicative measurements?
Indicative measurements are designed to:
- Provide spatial insight
beyond fixed stations - Identify trends
and local hotspots - Support public information
and decision-making
They complement, rather than replace, reference stations within AURN.
Legal and standards context
Indicative monitoring is increasingly supported by:
- CEN/TS 17660-1
(guidance for low-cost sensors) - MCERTS certification, providing independent performance verification
- Emerging UK and European practice recognising hybrid monitoring networks
How councils use them today
Local authorities use indicative networks to:
- Support AQAP development
and review - Monitor air quality around schools
and traffic corridors - Evaluate the impact
of interventions over time
Verified. Certified. Trusted.
Used at scale in the Breathe London programme.
What good readiness looks like in practice
A 2030-ready approach combines:
- Reference-grade stations for accuracy, compliance, and long-term trend assessment
- Hyperlocal indicative sensors for spatial coverage and neighbourhood-level insight
- Analytics and reporting tools to meet transparency, communication, and evidence.
This enables councils to:
- Understand street-level variability and exposure patterns
- Communicate air quality information to residents clearly and in real time
- Justify interventions with robust, spatially representative data.
See how hyperlocal data changes decision-making
Read moreHow councils can act
– without complex procurement
Procurement routes
Local authorities typically deploy indicative monitoring through:
- Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks
- RFQs and pilots below tender thresholds
- Phased roll-outs aligned with funding availability
Delivery timelines
Depending on scope, councils can implement:
- Urgent deployments within 7 days from contract signature
- Standard deployments within 14–30 days
- Expanded networks within 60–90 days
Budget fit
Many councils use remaining budget within the current financial year to:
- Pilot monitoring solutions
- Address priority locations
- Prepare for future funding rounds
Download the Readiness Guide 2030
Check your council’s
air quality readiness for 2030
Answer a few short questions to assess your current position:
- 01 Do you have hyperlocal air quality coverage beyond reference stations?
- 02 Can you evidence the impact of interventions?
- 03 Are your reporting tools public-facing and understandable?
- 04 Is your data suitable for discussion against WHO benchmarks?
After completion you receive:
A readiness summary
A tailored PDF overview
The option to book a short consultation
Trusted in public programmes
Airly has also been named a Supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Transport Technology framework.
We can be found under: Lot 4: Environmental Monitoring and Climate Resilience
Learn how large-scale programmes use indicative monitoring
See case studiesPrepare now
before readiness becomes a requirement
Download the Air Quality Readiness Guide 2030
Book a 15-minute readiness consultation
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